Atomic Smitten
by justafoxhound
Summary: "You're born in the vault, you die in the vault." But Talia's demise came as a surprise and she went off script. 2.5 deaths later she had the freedom she'd been dreaming of. The thing about freedom is, once you have it, you're free to have a really bad time. So when a charming stranger offers help, she can't afford to worry that he seems to be a hitman with really high targets.
1. A Very Bad Wake Up Call

Radiation leak. Cave in. Reactor meltdown. Old age. Boredom. These were the ways Talia expected she would die in _Vault 101, _the underground nuclear shelter she called home. She'd never have guessed it would be Johnny from Vault Security in the cafeteria with the police baton.

"You should have left with your daddy, kid. Would've been easier for you. Now, keep your hands where I can see 'em."

Talia circled the dining booth, keeping Officer Kendall on the opposite side to her. Fuck, he was right. Her dad left the Vault maybe an hour ago. Nobody was supposed to enter, nobody was supposed to leave. The original inhabitants were sealed inside when the whole world nuked itself to oblivion two hundred years ago, in 2077, and they'd been down here ever since. A microsociety with all the mod-cons _Vault-Tec Corporation _provided them. A mini kingdom over which the _Overseer _loved to rule, like the keeper of an ant colony. Only, her dad had busted out. And the Overseer was pissed.

Talia was pissed. Dad hadn't told her a thing despite her constant questions about the outside world. Didn't he know she wanted to leave? That she would be hunted down like a rat just for being related to him? He probably never thought about it. He'd been preoccupied as long as she could remember. More so since she started full time work duties at age sixteen.

Still, she'd have preferred to face the dangers of the surface with him instead of being beaten to death by some overgrown bully next to the coffee ration dispenser.

Talia smashed the salt and pepper shakers on the table between them with her baseball bat. She'd grabbed it from her room after her friend Amata warned her security was searching for her. The burst of mineral and glass caused Kendall to falter, which gave Talia the time she needed to scoot across the booth and strike him in the chin with an upward swing of her bat. His security helmet came flying off and he staggered backward, spitting blood.

It wasn't quite as devastating as she'd expected.

"Oh you're in for it now, girlie." Kendall readied his baton and started toward Talia, swinging for her head.

With a squeal she ducked his blow and leapfrogged the corner counter.

"Smart move, dumbass. Now you've got nowhere to run."

_Shit. _She had cornered herself. Frantically she began throwing everything the counter contained in his direction. Crockery. Cutlery. Cutlery trays. Coasters. Unsurprisingly it did nothing much but annoy him.

"Wear yourself out, kid. There's nothing you can do. You can run round and round this Vault, but no way you're getting out. _You're toast._"

Scanning for anything else that wasn't bolted down, Talia's eyes landed on something on the floor amidst the mess. Heavy, metal, it had fallen from the counter in the commotion. A toaster.

Raising it high with both hands, she lobbed it hard as she could. It struck Kendall on the head with a dull _thunk_. He fell to the ground. She didn't know if he was dead or dazed, and didn't stop to check. She picked up her baseball bat and jogged to the door. She had quite a way to go before she could potentially escape the Vault herself.

Hesitating, she peered back at the man she knew first as security, second as dad to one of her peers. "Sorry, man, you probably deserved butter than that."

_We all do._

* * *

The Overseer's office was just down the hall. Amata, Talia's friend and the Overseer's daughter, had been the one to warn Talia that her dad had absconded and she was in trouble. She said if Talia could make it to her father's office, she could reach the Vault entrance via a secret tunnel that connected the two. Amata promised to keep her father distracted to give Talia time to get into the office.

Talia probably wouldn't have made it out of her bed if it wasn't for Amata. Still, it hadn't been easy making it this far. There were more where John Kendall came from, patrolling the corridors and guarding the doorways to various levels of the Vault. But she knew these tunnels better than the back of her hand. Every space to hide, every shortcut, things that could be moved or rigged to fall, the best spots to place firecrackers for optimal pant-ruining effect. She'd spent enough time indulging in such pranks over the last decade that she had gained an edge on the security guards who were mostly bored, having nothing more exciting to deal with than the occasional radroach infestation.

Only one, Officer Gomez, had let her pass by, advising her to leave and find her dad. She realised then, if one of security thought she should leave, shit really had hit the fan. She took the opportunity to break into her dad's desk in the clinic. She knew he kept a pistol in there (along with a bottle of scotch). She'd found it when snooping around as a teenager, trying to discover what the hell kept him so busy even after his shifts as Vault Physician had finished.

For whatever reason, he hadn't taken it with him. Talia hadn't questioned too much and tucked it into her belt.

As if to reinforce her decision, she then witnessed a couple of other kids, siblings Tom and Mary, gunned down by security while they made their own attempt to escape the Vault. She'd owned an illicit BB gun since her tenth birthday. She'd even familiarised herself with the pistol since she found it. But, being a lowly nineteen year old Vault technician and _not_ the best shot in the Old West, she instead slipped by in the commotion.

Still, she wouldn't be here at all if it wasn't for Amata. Which is why she chewed her lip as she crouched just outside the jail room, where she was being held by the Overseer and Officer Mack.

"I told you, I don't know anything," Amata's voice was strained.

"Be reasonable, Amata," the Overseer sounded as arrogant as ever. "Officer Mack may enjoy this but I don't. Just tell us where to find your friend so we can talk to her." Talia could hear the shit-eating grin on his face.

"She's my friend. I was worried about her. What does she have to do with any of this anyway?"

"Probably nothing, which is why you need to tell me where she is so I can talk to her…" He sighed in the silence that followed. "Okay, go ahead, Officer."

_He won't… _A sickening thump and Amata's cry confirmed the Overseer had ordered a beating.

"Again," he instructed.

_Jesus. _Talia ground her teeth as she wrestled with the urge to go in there and smash both their heads in.

But Amata was covering for her. She should sneak by and get out. Amata _was _his daughter. Surely he wouldn't go too far?

Talia crept down the hallway, swallowing the knot in her throat. Her own dad wouldn't hurt her, but he had left her to this psychotic Overseer and his savage goons. What if she couldn't get out? How was she supposed to defend herself? He had a lot to answer for.

As she reached the reception room to the Overseer's office she paused to listen for movement. Nothing but the hum of the air circulation. Breezing around the corner, she stifled a scream. A body lay sprawled on the floor. It was Jonas.

Jonas had been her dad's assistant and friend for as long as she could remember. He'd been there for her, too. Without a mother since birth, and living in this enclosed community, he was like part of the family to her.

Breaths coming shattered and fast, she crawled over to him, placing a hand on his arm and gently shaking, hoping for a response. She knew to expect none; Amata had told her that one of the guards had killed him. But finding him, battered and bloody, _dead..._

Rage gripped her. A deep, animal enmity flourished in Talia's chest. It swelled through her limbs, tugging at her like a marionette.

Dad abandoned her. Jonas was murdered. Amata might be next. The Overseer and his thugs were animals.

Her breath rattled across her throat, almost a growl. She whirled back to the corridor. Her knuckles shone white around her baseball bat. Her boots drummed a count on the ground as she returned to Amata.

"There you are," came a voice behind her.

Security Chief Hannon. Talia span to see the head of security coming for her, baton raised. He was already close. She raised her bat in defence just in time to take the hit. The bat clattered to the floor. She blocked another with her forearm. As she winced in pain another struck her on her side body.

She was _not_ going to be dragged in front of the Overseer like a piece of tenderised meat. She flung herself at Hannon's arm, grabbing the baton and his wrist. She clung and clawed, trying to pry the weapon out of his grasp.

She was no match for his size or his training. He slammed her to the ground quicker than she blinked. When she'd got her breath back and caught up with events, she remembered what had made her so angry and resumed struggling. He had her pinned but she managed to twist beneath him so she was no longer eating linoleum. To her right was her dropped bat. Her free hand reached for it and in one swift motion hammered the butt into Hannon's helmet. She repeated. The impulse jarred Hannon enough that his hold went lax. Talia shoved him and wriggled free. Scrambling up she pulled the pistol from her belt and fired in his general direction until he stopped. She stared at him, hanging against the wall. She squeezed the trigger again to put him on the ground. Call her paranoid, but he was a big guy, and wearing body armour. She fired into him once more to satisfy herself that she was safe for now.

Her ears were ringing like hell. She could still hear gunshots. After a few seconds she realised it wasn't newly acquired hearing damage- there were gunshots coming from the jail room. She rushed to the door and punched the entry panel. The door slid open and Talia bowled in to find Mack on the ground, blood pooling under him. Amata was stood in the corner holding a pistol, staring at his body.

"Oh my God, Amata, what have you done!" The Overseer didn't even seem to notice Talia's entry.

"He made me do it…he left me no choice..." She sidestepped around the body and the Overseer. When she had a clear run to the door she bolted.

Talia's blood was pure adrenaline. "You touch Amata again and you're dead!"

The Overseer merely turned his attention from the body of Mack to Talia as if she had asked him the time. "Now then. If you really care about Amata, you will see how dangerous your father's actions were."

"Is that what you said to Jonas before you killed him?" Talia spat.

"Oh, come now, turn yourself in and we can resolve this whole thing peacefully. Just because your father betrayed us doesn't mean you have to."

Talia balked briefly. "My father… is no traitor. But you're a murderer and a thug."

"I can see you don't believe that. Look, I know it must be hard for you. Hand over your weapons and put an end to this dangerous situation."

Talia glared. Dad _had _betrayed her. But she was almost out. Free. Free of this box and its grey walls and its Overseer and his schedules and his goons. And she didn't like what she'd just seen. She never did trust the Overseer.

"Alright, you've convinced me. Just give me your keys and password and I'll be on my way." Her voice was acid.

The Overseer's face dropped into a scowl. "Do you think I'm scared of a snotnosed punk like you? I was running this Vault when you were still crying for your dead mother."

She barely remembered emptying the rest of the magazine into him. Something had taken over. Something that said he deserved it.

A minute later, Talia returned to where Jonas lay. "Why didn't _you _tell me, Jonas?" She stared for a few moments before snapping herself out of it. She had the Overseer's keys. Time to go.

* * *

"Good, you're leaving. I guess you were trying to help me but you didn't have to kill him!"

Amata scolded Talia in the entrance to the Vault. Talia simply watched in anticipation as the huge, steel, bolt like hatch rotated and retracted out of its sealed position. Dust rained from the ceilings as the whirring machinery shook the dank steel foyer in which they stood.

Talia spoke quietly. "He was a murderer. He deserved to die."

"And who appointed you judge, jury, and executioner? I know he wasn't perfect, but he was my father-"

"Perfect? No one's perfect, Amata. There's a difference between… between being forgetful or something, and killing people for no fucking reason. He wouldn't even do it himself. Just set his _thugs _on us all."

Amata was bitter. "Oh, and I suppose it's somehow more noble if you do all your killing yourself?"

"You tell me. I had no idea you were so good at shooting people."

The anger drained from Amata's voice. "Oh, don't… don't even start. I don't want to think about it. I had no choice. Officer Mack… he…"

Talia stared at the emerging exit tunnel. "Yeah, well… neither did I."

Amata drew a deep breath. "So you say. Maybe one day I'll forgive you but not now. He was the only family I had. I thought you of all people would have understood that. Just leave. Before I change my mind and call the guards."

Talia started toward the bare rocky shaft, which shimmered with an unfamiliar light. Light from the surface.

After a few steps she paused. "You could… come with me," she ventured. "Why not?"

Amata glared, though her brow furrowed slightly. "No. Not with you. Not now. Just go. Find your father. I have to go bury mine." She faded back into the belly of the Vault, leaving Talia alone in the cold passage to the outside world.

She stood in limbo until the sound of footsteps and shouting voices spurred her forward. The opening mechanism must have set off alarms. More guards were on their way. Talia ran to the light.


	2. Loose Ends

The bastard was taking his time tonight. Burke took a final, lingering drag on his third cigarette of the night before snuffing it out beneath a well worn black leather shoe. Salvaged from before the war, given some repairs and meticulous care they were once again as sharp as any worn before the bombs fell. He checked his watch, another fine piece of craftsmanship restored to its pre-war glory: _3:07 a.m_. No matter, Burke thought, this time of night was known as the dead zone. It would only serve to help him.

The pained yawn of a rusty door opening drew his attention. From his position in the shadows he peered down what now passed for a road. Out of one of the battered but still standing buildings stumbled a body, illuminated by the amber glow from within. Burke assessed the figure as it shuffled this way and that, adjusting to the drop in light and temperature. It was him. The door wheezed shut again, taking with it the drunken din, leaving the two alone in darkness and silence.

Burke knew he had a small window in which to intercept his target. After he left the bar, the man would wind his way through the reclaimed buildings that had survived the atomic blasts, then begin his crossing of the wasteland that stretched between this outpost and his settlement. He came here most nights, leaving with enough time to slip back to his duties unnoticed. The man had vices and was a creature of habit. That sort of thing could get you _killed_.

Burke's target staggered away from the bar, taking the same route he always did. Dipping his dark fedora low on his brow, Burke followed at a distance. He deftly side stepped into an alley as the man stopped to peer behind him before turning off the main thoroughfare, as he always did. _One mississippi, two mississippi, three missis-_ Burke counted silently and turned out of the alley exactly as the man continued onward, unaware of his second shadow.

As they neared the edge of town, Burke's heart rate rose. He wouldn't normally bother with this work himself anymore. It was so much more convenient to outsource. But this particular loose end was too important to risk leaving to an incompetant merc. Nonetheless, he did enjoy a good hunt.

The drunk lumbered over the precipice of the ditch that hugged the edges of the ramshackle settlement, sliding down on his backside. Burke supposed he thought he was being clever by avoiding the obvious route out of town. He sneered as the idiot disappeared from view. _Too easy._ But at least it meant he could leave this hole all the sooner.

Burke arrived at the lip and cast his eyes down. The man was floundering at the bottom on his hands and knees. Burke nimbly descended, barely dirtying his suit. "Hello, Mr. Hartman. I was hoping I'd run into you tonight."

Hartman started and pitched onto his backside. He sighed in relief when he recognised Burke. "Ooh, iss you. Fucksake… yoos… yooscared me."

He tried standing up from this new angle instead. "Lissn… iss gone. Ahdonavit. Iss gone, an noobody suh… suzspek-tid a thin. Iss sent, onissway tyou. On iss way, way way away…"

Burke looked upon him with a detached kind of pity. He hadn't a clue. "I know. The package is secure, thank you. I have everything I need from you. I believe you are due the other half of your payment."

The man blinked hard a few times then smiled smugly, more encouraged now to finish heaving himself upright. When he finally succeeded, he found himself staring down the barrel of Burke's pistol.

"Oh, shit," were not the most inspiring last words Burke had ever heard, but at least they were short.

* * *

Celeste put her feet up on one of the less grimy seats in _The Dirty Bird_, taking a shot of vodka and leaning back. She had a little while until the evening picked up, when the lonely night would bring in drunk men seeking the company of girls like herself, and the shadier types tended to do their business.

Keeping one eye on the door to assess any fresh prospects that walked in, she allowed herself a few minutes relaxation_._ She couldn't suppress a grin when through the door came one of her regulars. He was an _interesting_ customer, but he paid well. She stood to adjust her red silk chemise, hitching up the skirt and tugging down the neckline, before gliding to his side at the bar.

"The good stuff for this one, Hector," she hollered at the barman, "with ice." She smiled at the man she only knew as 'B'.

B turned smoothly to Celeste and smiled back. "And a vodka on the rocks for the lady, if you will, my good man," following her lead, he requested Celeste's preferred drink.

The barman sighed and a few seconds later slammed two grubby glasses of warm scotch and vodka on the bar in front of them. "We don't got ice. We ain't never had ice. You idiots know this and you ask every time."

"Oh it's all part of the fun, Hector," Celeste crooned.

"Yeah, yeah," Hector waved a dismissive hand, "so is payin'. Nine caps, boss."

B passed a handful of bottle caps to Hector, who swiftly counted them up.

"For the sense of humour," B smiled, declining the surplus that Hector offered back.

Hector nodded in thanks and busied himself at the other side of the bar.

Celeste raised her glass to B. "Good to see you again, baby. How are you?"

"All the better for seeing you, my beauty. You're looking ravishing tonight." He made some space between them to give her a proper appraisal. "My, my, where did you get this… can I even call it a dress? It even looks like real silk."

Celeste laughed and twirled so he could see every inch of her newly acquired, barely-there nightdress. "It is. It's _so _nice. There's a lot of good vintage out there if you know who to talk to. Do you like it?"

"Am I blind? What kind of question is that?"

Celeste giggled. "You always look tasty, B. Is this a new suit? This is fine." She stroked the length of his arm, making a show of checking him out head to toe.

The man had style. Fashion of sorts existed among the inhabitants of the Capital Wasteland, though it was mostly borne of practicality. The more adventurous sorts- traders, scavengers, explorers- wore tough overcoats or leather. 'Raiders' (that is, outlaws out of their minds on chems) wore very little. From what Celeste had seen, spikes were a favoured accessory. Most average settlers wore what they could scavenge or make, tattered and covered in patches where they had been repaired. People of means, like B, or girls like herself who might profit were among the few who bothered with pure aesthetics.

B made a show of appreciation. "You've a good eye. I had it tailored last week."

"Grey suits you, baby. And the pinstripes, _very _sexy." Celeste traced a finger along one of the stripes on B's lapel, using it as purchase to pull herself a little closer. "So what's on the agenda tonight, boss?"

B stepped in close, tucking her long dark hair behind her ear, speaking quietly into it. To anyone else in the room, they appeared deep in flirtation. "I just came to pay you for your last tip. It was good. He was _very _helpful indeed."

Celeste grinned. It was going to be a good payday. "I'm just a good listener to these poor, drunken souls. Step into my office." Celeste lead her man by the hand off the main floor, behind a tattered curtain, to her slice of paradise.

New faces in the area, who dealt in what, anything brewing between local players: The Dirty Bird was the hub of everything shady on this patch of the wasteland. Celeste saw and heard it all, and B paid her to feed him the information. When he found something she gave him particularly useful, he stopped by and slipped her the caps in private. To her boss, he was just another customer.

"Keep those eyes and ears of yours open," he purred, giving her a departing peck on the cheek.

"You know I do," she smiled. He didn't need to remind her to keep her mouth closed. Everyone here was shady, but he was pitch black, she was sure of it.

She rolled the bag of caps between her hands as she watched him go. _Sure as hell pays to be on his side though._

* * *

Burke strode eagerly toward the unremarkable single story building called _Lucky's_. He assumed there was an amusing story to the name but right now he didn't care about anything except the package that awaited him there. He'd spent months using his eyes and ears across the wasteland to track down someone who could build the device. Now, finally, it was ready. His contact at the first drop point had checked it, and from there it was discreetly transferred to Lucky's via a scrap metal caravan. Now its location was known only to himself and the scavenger who operated out of Lucky's. And all he knew was that he was to keep the crate safe and hidden until Burke arrived to collect.

Opening the door to the trading post, Burke stepped aside to allow the light from outside to illuminate the room. Dust hung in the stagnant air, penetrated by a beam of pallid gold from the evening sun. The room was a hive of shelving littered with mechanical miscellany, old sealed foodstuffs, empty soda bottles, and scrap metal; everything was valuable to someone in post-war America. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, Burke ventured into the scavenger's wonderland.

"Blythe? You here? You have something for me," he barked into the shadows, impatience already gripping him.

Burke honed in on scuffling sounds coming from the back room. After a few seconds, a short man in a long brown coat, covered in utility pockets with various tools dangling from it, appeared in the doorway. "Ah, Mr. B. Been expecting ya. Sure, I got your package. This way."

He beckoned Burke into the back room where even more mechanical parts covered several work benches. The man was a tinkerer, always trying to get more value out of his stock. "Not let it outta my sight since I got it, don't get your panties in a bunch."

Burke didn't bother to reply, hurrying to the bench where Blythe had placed a small wooden crate. It was practically pulsating. The power that would be unleashed when what was contained within served its purpose...

"Finally... it's here..." Burke ran his hands along the top of the crate, focussing so intently as if it might speak to him. "Open it," he commanded, stepping back without breaking his consummate gaze.

"Here? Right you are." Blythe picked up a claw hammer and cautiously shuffled over to the crate. He pried out the nails that fastened down the lid.

As the last nail came loose, Burke raised a hand. "Leave."

When Blythe was gone, Burke took a shaky breath and braced both hands on the lid's edges. Lifting it with reverent care, he found a wiry nest of packing material. He gently teased it aside, excitement escalating with every second that passed. This was it. _This was it! _

"Ha!" He barely noticed his exclamation as he glimpsed the first glint of metal. Scooping it up with both hands as a mother might lift an infant, he gazed upon the device for which he had laboured so long.

Weighty, though no larger than a household toaster, it looked completely unremarkable to anybody who did not know its purpose. Which was everybody. Just another piece of junk or broken old tech to sell to a scavver, aside from the lack of dirt that caked most other found parts. Completely unique, constructed for a singular purpose. Burke had not been sure that it would even be possible to manufacture such a device. In that light, he found it to be an object of beauty.

"Excellent job, Blythe. Excellent!" Billowing out of the back room with the wooden crate underarm, Burke converged on the startled trader. "You are a reliable fellow... which is why we continue to do business." Burke shook Blythe's mitted hand briefly, the crunch of caps between their palms eliciting a curt nod from both.

Burke closed the door on his way out into the final phase of his plan. He did enjoy a long project. The strategizing, the organisation required; he had not met a soul who possessed the imagination necessary for schemes such as those _he _could concoct. And the pleasure in anticipating the behaviour of all who would find themselves a part of his plans! The satisfaction of watching everything come to fruition! He felt as a conductor, orchestrating a grand opera of his own design.

A good, long project. It had been a while, and this was his grandest yet.


	3. The Big Leagues

Talia perched on the lip of a rock just outside the doorway to Vault 101. _Outside!_ Her pursuers had protested loudly about going anywhere near the threshold. As far as they were concerned, as soon as she closed the rickety wooden door behind her she had disappeared off the face of the known world. So here she sat, surveying her new world.

It was vast. She could never have imagined feeling so free, so small, so unburdened, so exposed. It was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. There were no walls as far as the eye could see. And dawn was breaking, so the eye could see further and further with every minute that passed.

Not that there was a lot to see. She hadn't known what to expect, despite having daydreamed about this moment a lot over the years. It looked much like a desert. Ruined houses dotted the dry, scorched earth. Crooked, bony fingers clawed up into the air where trees once breathed life. Huge concrete monuments jutted out from rubble beds, remnants of road bridges that now stood like a metaphor for humanity- a highway soaring ever upward, abruptly cut short.

And the sky. She was awestruck. The moon hung above her looking close enough to touch. She could even make out a few stars. She knew from books what a night sky ought to look like, and she found herself anticipating the next evening just to see it. As it was the sunrise was washing out the tiny specks, beautiful in its own way, albeit seeming a little cold and green compared to pictures she had seen.

She looked around and decided to reach the top of the rock formation into which the Vault door was built, in order to get a better view of the area. There had to be human settlements somewhere- where was dad going if not?

She couldn't make out a lot. Every structure seemed to be a rusted, crumbling ruin. She could see what she thought must be the Capitol building far to the east. Almost in the opposite direction stood a lone tower block. She had no idea if people would settle such places, or had they found new land elsewhere that wasn't so… dead?

As she pondered this, she noticed movement in her peripheral vision. Squinting over at a collapsed bridge, she made out a figure in the dust. Human! Possibly. It wasn't wearing a lot, and what it was wearing looked exceptionally and inexplicably spiky. Whoever it was, they didn't look friendly, and Talia didn't fancy sticking around for a meet 'n' greet.

She scrambled back down to the Vault entrance. In front of it was a crumbled old road. Having nothing more to go on, and judging it better than making friends with the human porcupine, she followed it as quickly and quietly as she could. The adrenaline was wearing off and she was really starting to hurt where Hannon had tried to dissuade her from leaving. Her _Pip-Boy_, the wrist worn personal computer all Vault residents were issued, would have informed her where she was injured and how badly, only it must have taken a strike from Hannon's baton too. The damage report showed the injury report function was unavailable, the radio tuner was stuck on an internal Vault 101 frequency used for 'open-mic Fridays', and the 'i' in 'Pip' had fallen off.

After maybe twenty minutes of cautious hobbling, the road led her to a ruined old town. Wrecked houses lined either side of the street, now little more than four crumbling walls, if that. At the end of the road survived a tall, red, metal structure shaped like a rocket. "_Red Rocket_" blazed down the side in large steel letters. It was a pre-war gas station. A burned out fusion car had found its final parking spot right beneath the sign. Talia presumed the owners abandoned it when the warning sirens went off. She wondered if they made it up the hill to Vault 101 in time.

Curiosity drew her closer. At the edge of the pitch stood a vending machine, still upright. _Unbelievable!_ She jabbed at the buttons, unsurprised there was no response. She gave it a good shove and laughed out loud when a few bottles of _Nuka-Cola _came tumbling out of the dispensary slot.

"Nice!" It was heavily rationed in the Vault. She guzzled a whole bottle in one go and stashed the others in her Vault 101 issue jumpsuit.

A sound nearby her sent her crouching behind the car wreck. It sounded like voices. She scanned the distance in the direction of the sound, trying to stay motionless. After a minute she also heard a whirring, mechanical noise, and into view from the other street bobbed a hovering metal ball. A bit bigger than a basketball, two long antennae stuck out of its top, with a grill on one side that seemed to be a speaker, projecting the voices Talia could hear. In fact, it was just one voice, that of a kindly old man rambling about baseball, of all things.

"_That's right, America. Before we were devastated by atomic war, each state had its OWN professional baseball team. Imagine, a perfect, cloudless day. The sun is warm and welcoming. And on the horizon, they appear, like knights of yore, armed with bats of ash and hickory. Their name? The Capital Congressmen."_

Talia shook her head and approached the robot, which seemed unperturbed by her presence.

The man continued. "_Now ask yourself this: What if the Capital Congressmen could live again? What if they could compete with baseball teams from Pennsylvania, or Maryland? Put your faith in John Henry Eden, great America, and baseball will live again! Comfort, recreation, healthy competition - all will live again! This country WILL live again!"_

The monologue ended and patriotic, marching style music began to play.

Talia laughed to herself. "Well, Mr. Eden, maybe I can join this team of yours. I was on the Vault 101 team, you've probably heard of us." The outside world looked like it needed a lot of things, but a baseball team was not one of them.

Not knowing what to make of the robot, but heartened to hear from someone who she'd bet money wasn't wearing spikes, Talia followed it a little while longer. Maybe it would shed some light on the current state of things.

No, it was mostly marching music. As it reached the end of the road by the gas station, it volte faced very well for a sphere and bobbed back up the street from which it came. Talia watched it go, and sent a rock hurtling toward it with her baseball bat. _Miss._ There went her post-war baseball career.

From where she now stood, something caught her eye. Propped against the corner wall of the gas station was a big sheet of metal. On it, daubed in red paint (at least she hoped it was paint), was a word:

"_MEGATON_"

An arrow pointed to the right.

Talia scanned the landscape in that direction. There looked to be a trail leading off from the arrow, but she could only follow it so far before it disappeared into the hillside. That was good enough. A road sign so close to the Vault had to be for people like her. Guiding them to civilisation. Maybe her dad even made it.

Or it could be a trap for people like her. Tribal cannibals luring fresh, Vault-grown human into their camp for dinner. She chose to doubt cannibals would waste good blood on making signs instead of sausage. Checking she had her gun and bat, she set off up the trail at a pace that would keep her too lean to make good eating, just in case.

* * *

"Welcome- _tzzt-_ to- _crrnk- _Megaton. The. Friendliest. Town. Around. _Fzzt!"_

A weathered _Protectron _fizzed and rasped as Talia approached the brow of the hill. The multi-purpose robot, manufactured before the war by _RobCo Industries,_ stood not much taller than Talia. A clunky, barely humanoid build with three chunky "fingers" on each arm and a few puny lasers for self defence, the robots were designed to take on various tasks in many industries.

This one had been cleverly reprogrammed after the war. Stuck on its chestplate was a tarnished, star-shaped Deputy Sheriff's badge, and balanced upon the dome of what one might, under duress, call a head, was a wide brimmed Sheriff's hat. This ingenuity allowed it to now act as guard and welcome party to the settlement known as Megaton.

Megaton rose from the desert like an equally clunky imitation of an ancient walled city. The outer wall was maybe fifteen feet high, patched together from sheet metal. Front and centre loomed what looked like an old aeroplane jet engine. It sat atop the front gate like some overly spurious weather vane. Beneath this stood a lookout with a rifle.

"Sure looks it," mumbled Talia, catching her breath from climbing the hill. The robot seemed to be paying her no more mind so she approached the front gate, peering up at the man keeping watch.

He made no move to stop her. As she approached, the retired jet engine whirred to life. She jumped back, startled by the sudden noise and the size of the thing. As it gained speed the entire steel patchwork barring entry to the town separated and raised, revealing an interior gate. The engine span down. When it was motionless again, Talia looked at the watchman. He gave her a curt nod, so she passed through the scrapyard portcullis, heaving open the interior gate.

Scrapyard was certainly the word. Everything was made of the same metal sheets, botched together to form walls. The outer wall seemed to run in a rough circle. The path on which she stood almost immediately took a steep drop straight down into the centre of town. Alongside ran metal piping. Which leaked. Liquid was spurting out and making slurry of the dirt around it. To the left and right were ramshackle tin shacks. The air sang with the aroma of wet mud, so thick Talia could taste it. It was tinged with a metallic edge, plus something more acerbic. It hung stagnant, no breeze able to slip through the walls encircling her. The walls creaked and squealed. The leaking pipe laid a background of white noise that, while not unlike the Vault's constant hum of air circulation and support systems, jarred Talia. She had already warmed to the sound of true silence.

The overall vibe was… dismal.

"Wow, two hundred years and all we've got is a slum?"

A man was ascending the hill toward her. He wore a thick beard, a Sheriff's hat like the robot, and a long duster coat. Slung over one shoulder was what looked like an assault rifle. Talia remained by the gate while he approached. His fixed her with a serious glare. _Oh boy._

He stopped in front of her, cocked his hip and rested a hand in his waistband. "Well I'll be damned. You're from that Vault, one-oh-one. I ain't seen one of those jumpsuits in a long time."

Talia frowned.

He tipped his hat. "The name's Lucas Simms. Town Sheriff. And Mayor too, when the need arises."

Talia brushed some dirt off her jumpsuit, noticing the yellow '_101'_ was not visible anywhere but the back. _Shit._ That wasn't just dirt, but blood. From the Vault. She folded her arms to try and obscure the marks and put on the most casual expression she could manage.

"You got a weird look about you, girl. The kind that means trouble. I give everyone a fair shake. But if you do anything _remotely _stupid, you're dead."

What was this guy's problem? "Alright. Thanks... Calamity _Wayne_."

The Sheriff drew himself up. "That's how it's gonna be, huh? That's fine, that's just fine. So long as we understand each other. This here is my town. These are my people. You so much as breathe wrong- I'm gonna fuckin' end ya."

"Right. Message received, Sheriff," Talia gave a faux salute. Anything to get him off her case.

Simms narrowed his eyes. "I'm glad we understand each other. Now, is there anything I can help you with while you're here?" Sarcasm scorched the air.

Where to start? She wanted to know where her dad went, where she could get some painkillers, where she could sleep, wash, eat, _what _she could eat, what that smell was, why everything was so steep, why everything looked like shit, and why after two seconds this guy was giving her such a hard time.

"Well, actually I'm looking for my dad. Middle aged guy. Maybe you've seen him?"

"I've got enough fires to put out without keeping tabs on every visitor. I'd ask around town." With that he turned and swaggered along the perimeter wall.

"Too busy dressing up to know who's just waltzing into 'your town', more like," Talia muttered to herself and set off in the other direction, down the hill.

She neared the leaky pipe. Fuck, she was thirsty. She took out one of the Nuka-Cola bottles and half drained it. The pipe looked like it was spewing water. Talia shook her head. Piped water and they were just letting it spray into the dirt. _Well thank God they have a properly dressed Sheriff. Who needs drinking water?_

"Mmmmmrrrrrrnnnnn!"

The alien noise gave her a fright. All this Nuka-Cola must have her on edge. She found the source of the noise and figured it must have her seeing things too.

She'd _seen _cows in books. Educational books. She did not, at any stage of school, read that it had ever been usual for cows to have two heads.

"What happened to it? Is that normal?" she asked the man tending it, keeping her distance.

"What?" the man shrugged.

"What? _That. _That cow having a spare head is what."

"It's a brahmin. A good one, too." The man went back to doing not a lot.

Talia waited for more enlightenment that never came_. _"So mutants are real. Gross." She wondered what it would taste like, or if it was even edible. Worryingly her stomach rumbled.

Or was that her _Pp-Boy_? Shit, the Geiger counter was complaining. Looking around, it wasn't hard to figure out why. At the bottom of the hill, in the centre of town, was the source. She wasn't walking down a hill, but a crater. The whole town had been built into the sides of it. And at ground zero was the thing that created it- an unexploded bomb.

And her Pip-Boy was telling her it was irradiating everything and everyone around it. These fucking geniuses had set up camp around a battered atomic bomb! _Amazing_.

She backed off until the crackling stopped. The bomb hole was full of stagnant water which looked mildly luminous. A man stood knee deep, ranting and raving about something. There were several people milling around. A bar had been set up right next to it where a few people were eating and drinking. No one seemed to mind the toxic pond or the radiation or the threat of instant annihilation.

She shook her head and retreated in another direction. The new world was either loony or dumb as shit. Looking up at the shack right in front of her, there was a word crudely daubed above the door: "_CLINIC_." Great, maybe she could get some meds, or at least an ice pack. She thought she was getting a black eye from face planting the ground under Hannon.

Inside, an elderly man was doing paperwork behind a desk. Before Talia had even closed the door he started talking.

"I'm Doc Church and I run this clinic. Now, before you go askin' me for help, you better know the rules. One: don't bother me. If you do bother me, you better be damn near dead. I'm busy enough taking care of people I actually like. Follow my rule, I'll keep you patched up, I keep gettin' paid, and we'll get along just fine."

"...And that's it? Just the one rule then."

The doctor sighed impatiently. "Yes, one rule. Have you forgotten it already? What are you wasting my time for?"

Talia huffed, exasperated. "I'm hurt, doc. Took a bit of a beating. Think I'm just bruised but I could just use some-"

"I'm the doctor here," Church interrupted. He heaved himself out of his chair and around the table. "You don't look too bad. If you have one hundred caps though, I can fix you up."

"...Caps?"

"Yeah, caps. Bottle caps! Are you deaf?"

Talia frowned. "You mean like... from bottles of drink?"

"Yes, from drink. Beer, soda, whatever. Medicine isn't free."

Slowly, painfully, her mind connected the dots. Paper money didn't mean anything anymore. These people used bottle caps as currency. She had exactly two bottle caps from the Nuka-Cola she had on her. The third she had earlier was long gone. "Oh… I, uh… I don't have any caps…"

The doctor sat back down a lot quicker than he'd gotten up. "For cryin' out loud! Well get out of my face then."

Talia lingered, dumbfounded, until the doctor actually shooed her away.

"Fuck you too," she grumbled and slammed the door shut. "Bottle caps, what the fuck." She'd figured she would be okay if she just reached a hub of civilisation. It was clearly a mistake to bestow such a term on this place.

Bitterness powering her, she dragged herself further through town, ascending the opposite side of the crater. At the top was another signposted shack: "_SALOON_". _Hallelujah. _Hopefully she could score some food, a drink, or meet someone remotely normal.

She stepped through the rusty metal door into a wall of cigarette smoke. It only partially masked the smell of stale booze and the damp musk from a perpetual cycle of customers. The shack had a couple of back rooms, even a staircase cobbled together on the left. In the centre was an L-shaped bar, propped up by two rough looking men. A few tables dotted the edges of the room. A radio played crackly big band music, giving the scene a strange air of normalcy.

All heads turned as Talia entered. She suddenly wondered if she had any blood on her face. Fidgeting with her baseball bat she headed straight for the furthest end of the bar. They went back to their drinks. Thankful, Talia took a seat and rummaged in her jumpsuit for the Nuka-Cola.

"I don't suppose you got anything for two whole caps?" she asked, noticing movement behind the counter.

"Just a beer. Welcome to Moriarty's." The voice was not so much gravelly as broken glass.

The sound Talia made when she looked up was not one she could ever intentionally reproduce if she tried. Shock launched her backwards, stool clattering to the floor.

"What, you never seen a Ghoul before?" The… man groaned, as if he'd seen this act a thousand times before. At least Talia was fairly sure he was a man. If a man had been turned inside out.

"Ghoul?" she managed, swallowing back the Nuka-Cola that was threatening to escape her stomach.

"Well, some of us weren't lucky enough to have a nice cushy Vault to hole up in when the bombs fell. A bunch of us got stuck out here, took a full blast of radiation. Turned us into a pack of walking corpses. And with a face like ground brahmin meat, a lot of people don't take too kindly to us." He took up wiping the bar.

Talia could only take short peeks at him. No one else was paying him any attention.

"And that's… normal out here is it?" She wasn't sure if everyone had just adapted to the world or they were all insane. _Atomic bombs and walking corpses!_

"Yeah, whatever. Fuck you too. I'm used to being treated like shit around here."

Talia wasn't completely sure she wasn't hallucinating. She was starving, exhausted, bruised, aching, and had no idea about the outside world.

"Hey, man, I didn't mean it like that. I'm just…" _horrified by what you just said and trying to work out how to not look like I'm trying not to look at you._ She righted the barstool and sat back down, hoping to shrink into the background.

The gruesome bartender just continued wiping the bar. "You want a drink or what, smoothskin?"

"I'm actually looking for my dad. He might have been here a few hours ago? Another Vault guy. Have you seen him? If I can find out where he went then I'll be out of your… hair." _Whoops._

The Ghoul was silent a while. "Look, I keep my head down. I tend to get smacked around if I talk to customers. Best ask Moriarty, he might know something." With a nod to the back room, he turned from the bar and busied himself with other duties.

Talia guzzled the rest of her opened Nuka-Cola, foot tapping rapidly. What would she find back there? Would Moriarty have no skin too? Six eyes? Tentacles where his legs should be? She decided she'd be okay if he at least had skin, and made her way to the back office doorway.

_Knock knock._

An Irish voice answered gruffly. "What d'ya want? I thought I told ya not to bother me back here."

Talia backed up as heavy footsteps followed. A tall, broad man with messy greying hair and goatie filled the doorway. A rough leather waistcoat covered a grubby white t-shirt.

"Oh!" His irritated demeanour changed instantly when he saw Talia. "A new face! Always a pleasure. Colin Moriarty, at your service."

His large hands enveloped one of hers and gave it a spirited shake. "Welcome to Moriarty's. My saloon, my home, my slice of heaven in this backwards little burg."

He plonked an arm across her shoulders and steered her back toward one of the bar stools. "If you've got the caps, I've got your pleasure. Sit down, make yourself at home. Your troubles are a thing of the past."

He pressed Talia into the seat so forcefully she wondered if it had fused with her jumpsuit. "Thank you. Uh, I'm actually looking for my dad. Middle aged guy. He might have come through here. Sheriff said to ask around?"

Moriarty stared at Talia for a few uncomfortable seconds. Talia shifted, wondering if language had evolved and she had just accidentally insulted the man's great ancestors.

Then he clapped his hands together. "My God, it's you. The little baby girl, all grown up. Persistent little flower, ain't ya? Then and now it would seem. It's been a long time, kid."

Talia shot him a quizzical look. "Yeah, like, forever. I think you're getting me mixed up…"

Moriarty waved a hand. "No, no, you're daddy came through here alright. Got what he came for and left. I'm assuming you'll do the same?"

Talia frowned. "Well, I guess. But you must be thinking of someone else. Me and my dad were both born in Vault one-oh-one, so-"

The saloon keeper burst into laughter. "Is that what he told you? That you were born in that hole? That _he_ was born in there as well?" He had a good wheeze and wiped a tear from his eye. "Oooh, the lies we tell to those we love."

Eventually, under Talia's expectant gaze, he made an effort to calm himself. "You're father brought you to the Vault right after you were born. To keep you safe, y'see. I should know-" he added as Talia shook her head, "you stayed in my saloon, after all. Yep, your father, his Brotherhood of Steel friend, and you, the suckling babe with nary a tit to suckle. Sorry about your mam, truly."

Talia's breath caught in her throat. How could he know about her mother? "No… no, that's bullshit. I don't know who you are, but you're a liar. I know where I grew up."

Moriarty was unperturbed. "Aaah, I see. I heard about the brainwashin' they got goin' on down there. Heard about it from another fella who escaped… ooh, about five years back."

He nodded at Talia who was frowning in disbelief.

He put on a robotic voice to recite the very words Talia had to learn as a young child. "'_All hail the overseer. We're born in the vault, we die in the vault_'. And all that other assorted lunacy."

How could he know all this unless he was telling the truth? Even if someone had escaped and told him the words, how could he know Talia? That her mother had died in childbirth?

She jumped as he clicked his fingers in front of her face. "Kid, you've got better programming than our own Deputy Weld out front. You'd best wise up. Wouldn't want anyone… takin' advantage of ya."

He knew more about her than she did. Talia folded her arms and blinked heavily. She was uneasy but she didn't have the energy to think about it right now. "I just want to find my dad. Do you know where he is?"

Moriarty sighed a theatrical sigh. "Look kid, I'll be straight with ya. I know where your dad went. But you're looking for information, and information is a commodity, which must be sold at a reasonable market price. Now for say… a hundred caps, the information is yours."

_What a surprise_. "I have... _one_ cap." Like a magician she produced the bottle cap of the Nuka-Cola she'd just finished.

"Tell you what, kid," Moriarty leaned on the bar and dropped to almost a whisper. "I'm gonna help you out, for old time's sake. If you don't have the caps, then maybe you could do a little… favour for me."

Talia didn't like his tone and it must have showed.

"Relax, kid," Moriarty said, "I'm talking about this junkie bitch named Silver. Borrowed quite a few caps from me. Claimed she could start funneling me jet and psycho at a good price. But she scrammed with the cash and set up in Springvale to inject herself into a stupor. Get the caps she owes me and they're yours. Yours to pay me with anyway." He chuckled joyfully.

Fighting drug running junkies for their money? "Yeah, I don't think I'm really cut out for that kind of thing," Talia groaned.

Moriarty sighed irately. "Well if you don't want the information, that's fine by me. Course ya could… work for the information. I do run a saloon after all, and I've only got Nova at the minute. You won't have a shortage of customers here, I can tell you that. You'll be able to pay me in no time."

Talia followed Moriarty's gaze. A young woman clearly dressed to invite attention leant by the staircase. She had a hazy look about her, and when she caught the two of them staring she blew a kiss in their general direction.

Talia stood and backed away from the bar. "Mr. Moriarty, you can go fuck yourself." She ran to the door while the owner yelled after her.

"Yeah, whatever, uptight little bitch. You'll be back. Just come find me when you're ready to learn where your daddy is."

Talia scrambled away from the saloon, as far as she could get. Her body ached. Her stomach was growling. She wanted a _bath_. She shoved Moriarty's offer out of her mind, too tired to acknowledge her situation. Glaring at every sign along the track, she eventually saw the painted words "_COMMON HOUSE_".

She opened the door and found a large space, the largest of all the shacks she'd seen so far. Bunk beds lined the walls. And most actually had a mattress, albeit two centuries old and looking it. She supposed it was quite a luxury to have one at all, at least in this town. Aside from that the place was a tip. Empty tins, bottles, and boxes littered the floor. Tables and chairs were overturned. Everything was covered in a layer of dust or dirt.

She entered, stepping over a pile of something she purposely didn't study too hard. If she could just rest, she could figure out what to do later. Maybe she'd wake up back in the Vault and discover this was all a fever dream caused by a bad sweetroll or a gas leak.

"You again?"

Talia turned to find her favourite Sheriff scowling at her, and sighed. "Sheriff, please, not now. I've got no money and Moriarty wants me to work in his bar and I just need to rest and some time to think before I…" She trailed off, distracted as her mind's eye played out a scene in which she threatened Moriarty for the information, shooting him in the foot, then the leg, until he cried like a little girl and gave in.

"Moriarty? Ugh, this town doesn't need any more of his 'business'. Get out of here. This house is for hard working citizens-in-waiting. Though," he raised his voice to shout in general to the various bodies loafing around the shack, "they'll be waiting a long time if this is the state they think they can leave my town in."

Talia gawped.

"Come on," he pressured, "a saloon girl has a bed, so you don't need to take up one of these."

"But Sheriff!"

"If you want to do something productive, maybe then you can earn a spot here like the rest of these people." He held the door open and somewhat ostentatiously adjusted his rifle.

"Unbe-fucking-lievable. I'm basically being trafficked right now. You're trafficking me, and _I'm _the bad guy?" Talia swore as he shooed her out of the shack and shut her out.

She paced feverishly outside before kicking the makeshift railings in a fit of frustration. They gave ever so slightly under her boot, sitting even more wonkily than they had before. The result of the effort was rather an anticlimax, which dampened her tantrum.

What was she to do? For now she wanted to stay away from the Sheriff. She moped back the way she had come, toward the saloon. It sat at the end of the terrace and she realised there was space behind it, between it and the outer town wall. She thought maybe the Sheriff wouldn't snoop around there, so she huddled out of view and scrunched her eyes closed tight.

* * *

She napped fitfully for a few hours, half dreaming, half reflecting on her escape. Was she right to shoot her way out? Was it weird that she didn't really care? She didn't feel better having avenged Jonas, but she would be in the exact same situation if she hadn't.

When she couldn't nap any longer she moved further along the outer wall so she could see some of the town from where she sat. And sat. And sat. Punctuated by some sulking. At least a camp of cannibals would have been _different._ This place was more of the same dull, grey boxes filled with miserable people under the boot of one boss or another, like the Vault. Only with more dirt.

She was trying to decide whether the woman that had just passed by topped her mental leaderboard for dirtiest faces, when someone new caught her attention. He was dressed smarter and he looked clean, but there was something else. He carried himself taller, emanated a confidence and energy that the downtrodden settlers were lacking. He stopped and allowed someone to pass, catching sight of Talia as he did so.

Talia involuntarily looked away as they made eye contact. She plopped her chin on one hand as though she was just getting comfortable, but she could tell he was still looking. She fiddled with her shoelace and peeked up. He gave her a subtle, warm look and lightly touched the brim of his hat before continuing out of sight. The creak and clang that followed indicated he had entered Moriarty's.

She took a moment to digest that someone had just… said hello. Nicely. And left. It was almost definitely the hunger making her go strange, but she was a little moved. Moved enough to get up and contemplate following him into the saloon.

_Why? _

Why not? It wasn't like she was overloaded with work in her new position as a bum.

After a few minutes considering- it was hard to think when she was hungry- she stood in front of the saloon door, peeking in first in the hope of avoiding the owner. The coast was clear and she entered, hovering uncertainly just inside. She spotted the man from outside nestled in the far corner, out of view of other patrons. He was unlike everyone else she'd seen so far. He wore a grey business suit, a blue tie laying neatly against a shirt laundered to a shade of white presumably not seen since before the war. His face was obscured by a dark fedora and tinted glasses, but she could tell he had noticed her.

He motioned subtly that she should come over.

She hurriedly tried to undo what the last eight hours had done to her hair, and slyly wiped her face lest anything was splattered on it.

He smiled as she approached. She realised the only smile she'd received since Amata woke her was from Moriarty, when he'd laughed at her. This was nothing like that.

"I don't live out there, by the way. I was just, uh… on a break." She forced a smile and folded her arms again, remembering the blood stains.

The man chuckled. It was a comfortable, easy sound that made Talia wonder what he was on and if she could have some.

"My, my," rumbled a voice as thick as treacle. "Just when I'd all but given up hope. My dear girl, I am very happy to make your acquaintance. Please, sit down." He gestured to the chair beside his table.

"...Why?" she asked suspiciously.

The man chuckled again. "Because- it looks like you need to," he pushed out the chair with his foot. "Let me buy you a drink."

She did have a black eye, didn't she? Talia acquiesced, taking the seat gratefully. "I'd actually kill for a coffee. If it still exists out here," she sighed hopefully.

The man nodded and turned to the bar. "Gob!" A few moments later the Ghoul bartender arrived at the table.

Talia suddenly felt the need to study a thread on her sleeve that had been coming loose for a while now.

After a quiet exchange of some words and caps, Gob disappeared again.

"Allow me to introduce myself," her new acquaintance purred, offering a hand. "I am Mr. Burke."

"Talia." She took his hand, noting it didn't seem to have any of Gob stuck to it. "You're not from round here are you?"

Burke snorted. "No. Call me a… travelling salesman, if you will. I am, however, stuck here for the time being. So I'm rather glad you showed up."

Talia shifted in her seat. "Hey, I'm not... you know, 'working' here, if that's what you-"

"Oh, my dear girl, no, no. Not at all. Please, relax." He took off his hat and glasses, ruffling his hair with one hand and folding his glasses into his breast pocket. "I merely wished to speak with someone else who was not a resident of this… 'town'." He leant back and offered a reassuring smile.

Talia blushed. "Oh… sorry… it's just, something earlier is all. I guess it's pretty common out here."

She breathed a little easier now she could see him properly. His short, mid-brown hair defied order, reaching in all directions now it was free of the hat, slightly receding but thick. He looked surprisingly healthy, at least compared to the other townspeople (even when not counting Gob). He was very much older than her, though she was hard pressed to settle on an age given he lived on the surface. Against the locals, he might be thirty-something. But she got the impression he lived a better life than they, so he could easily be in his forties. His expression was as easy as his speech, and he seemed genuinely pleased to have some fresh company.

"No matter. You are correct," Burke shrugged. "You've come from a Vault. I noticed outside," he added, gesturing to her suit.

"Yeah. Well, long story… I'm stuck here now, too."

He sent her a knowing look. "Only as long as you allow yourself to be. In this world, anything you want can be yours."

"The 'American Dream' survived then?"

"Yes, for the parts of humanity that still have any guts- oh, no offense, Gob."

"Very good, sir. None taken." Gob had returned with a coffee and two plates of food, which he placed on the table.

Burke continued. "The world now, Talia, is in its rawest form. If you want something, you _take it_. Only your own fear stops you. Or somebody with a better aim, of course," he quipped, gesturing to the pistol at her belt.

He slid over the mug of coffee and a plate of meat. "I hope it's not too presumptuous that I ordered food."

Talia didn't have the energy to question why this stranger was being so kind. Perhaps it was simply because he wasn't a local. Maybe it just happened that the remainders of humanity who had resettled the land near her Vault were all jerks.

"Do I want to know what this is?" she asked, pointing to the slab of meat on her plate.

"Nothing to worry about," Burke assured. "Tastes a bit like chicken, I'm told. Though I'm not certain there is anyone alive that has ever tasted chicken."

Talia was ravenous. She tried to maintain some semblance of table manners, though her companion didn't seem to mind. He ate his own meal and gave her some space while she refuelled.

"You know this is the first thing I've eaten since I came out here? Aside from some Nuka that I… uh, found, in an old vending machine." She cringed when she heard it out loud. Did normal people scavenge two hundred year old snacks?

"Left in a hurry, did you?" Burke asked amusedly.

"Could say that."

"You know, I've heard some very odd stories about some of these Vaults. You seem fairly well adjusted, however."

"Er, thanks," Talia laughed. It felt good to smile. "It was just a shelter. We worked shifts to keep everything running, went to bed, repeat. But my dad left. Or escaped is the word, really. It was supposed to be sealed. That's what I thought anyway… God, it was more like a prison now I say it like that. Anyway, they didn't want _me_ there either, so I had to get out."

"Paranoia. Not uncommon in Vaults, from what I've heard."

"Right? I always said he was insane. The Overseer, I mean. Anyway I always wanted to leave, to see outside."

"And what do you think?"

Talia scrunched her nose. "I hope there's more to it than this place."

"I am not surprised someone from at least a _mostly _sane Vault is none too impressed with this attempt at 'civilisation'."

"I wouldn't really call it that," Talia replied tartly.

Burke snorted. "I think we'll get along famously." He sat back and sipped his whisky as she finished her food.

Sated, Talia took a few big gulps of what was currently ranking as the best coffee she had ever tasted. She was feeling much better. Relatively speaking. The easy demeanour of her new acquaintance Mr. Burke had also washed over her. He was an oasis of calm in the middle of this asylum. She felt ten times more comfortable, a hundred times more safe. She'd defended her life several times already but only felt lucky to escape. But this man was perfectly content to just lounge in a radioactive crater drinking booze served by an inside-out bartender as though he was just making the best of a business layover in a town with no decent entertainment.

"Good?" he asked.

Talia nodded through another gulp.

"And how was the 'chicken'?"

Talia smiled. "Well, actually, in the Vault we did have chickens-"

"_Really?_" Burke leaned in to the table, blue eyes flickering with intrigue.

"Yeah, a long while back we could all eat real, fresh meat once a week. And eggs. Oh my God, the eggs. So good! I heard that years before we had other animals too, and more meat, but I guess they all died off like the chickens. The people were dwindling too. I don't think anything can live like that for long. Underground. Like lab rats."

"Fascinating." Burke was rapt. "And how many people are there now?"

"Hmm… about forty, fifty? Less now that… well…"

"Go on," Burke coaxed.

"Well, it was not a friendly send off. They killed two people. They killed Jonas, my-" Talia swallowed a stronger reaction. "My uncle Jonas. They beat him to death. Fucking thugs." She spoke quietly, coldly, eyes distant.

"I'm sorry, my dear," Burke answered softly. He paused a few moments before continuing. "If I may say so, I know that look. You've already paid them back, haven't you?"

Panicked, Talia's eyes flicked back to Burke.

She didn't need to answer. He nodded in reassurance, lowering his voice. "It's alright. As I said, this world is raw. No one is coming for you. We all have to… settle our own affairs as we see fit."

Talia searched Burke's eyes for any hint of deception. He seemed perfectly sincere. Encouraging_,_ even. She rested her own elbows on the table, narrowing the distance between their faces. "And you've…?"

Burke barely nodded. "Look around, Talia. Everybody is armed. They have to be. It's just the way it is."

Talia shifted her gaze around the bar for a few seconds, counting the weapons she saw strapped to each and every patron. "But they're for mutants and stuff, right? They're not, like, settling arguments with them. There's some sort of order…"

"The only order comes from who would back you up. Most of these… 'people' are too worried about their own wretched existence to risk a hair getting involved with anyone else's quarrels. That most gallant 'Sheriff', Simms, _thinks_ he maintains order here, but I guarantee I could kill him in this very bar and no one would even get out of their seat."

A chill ran down Talia's spine as Burke spat the last few words, loathing darkening his features. It only made him more enigmatic. Her eyes trailed down, falling on the weapon at his hip. It was a pistol like hers, but fitted with a suppressor. For _quiet_ kills.

She swallowed hard. "And is that… your business?"

"As opposed to my pleasure?" Burke replied coolly.

_Good question. _"I just mean," Talia contended, trying to diffuse the atmosphere, "compared to this lot, you look pretty… serious."

"Only when I'm forced to be," he answered with a cool smile. "Most people can be reasoned with, bought, or are too stupid to require either."

Talia put aside questions of what exactly this salesman was selling today. Maybe he could help her. "And what do you think of the owner here?"

"Moriarty? Another idiot who thinks he runs this town... Why, what's on your mind?" Burke caught Talia's expression, a glint in his eye.

"It's just… he knows something I need to find out. And he hasn't been very helpful."

Burke pulled his chair as tight as he could under the table. "Colour me most intrigued. Do tell me your thoughts on the matter, my dear girl."

Talia shuffled her chair a quarter way round the table so they could speak more quietly. Her heart raced with the proximity after the realisation that there were very dangerous depths to her dinner companion.

"Well, my dad escaped and came through here. He spoke to Moriarty, but he won't tell me where he went. He wants a hundred caps, or I have to do some dirty work of his, or… work for him. You know. _Upstairs._" She grimaced.

"I see. I guessed he was the type to go for caps. That's obvious," Burke mused.

"Thing is, I don't trust him one bit. Even if I gave him a hundred caps, what's to say he won't ask for more?"

Burke nodded along in agreement.

"And I don't like him, so on principle I don't want to pay him."

Burke smirked. "And the work?"

"See points one and two. Anyway I just want to get out of here. It seems like he's got his other staff on a tight leash. I don't want to get tangled up with him."

"Yes… he doesn't have many friends here, from my observations."

"So I've got to… force it out of him?"

Burke tipped his head with a concurrent shrug.

"But no one will back him up… probably…"

Burke smiled and sipped his whisky while watching Talia turn it over in her mind.

"He doesn't seem like an easy guy to intimidate though."

"That depends if you're willing to make good on your threat."

Talia wondered, remembering how she'd squared off with the Overseer. "Well I… I've been pretty lucky to get here..." she conceded with a huff. She was tapping her foot so fast the table wobbled with the motion.

Burke set down his drink. "It might work, but it seems to me to be quite a desperate action. I admire an independent spirit but you do have other options at your disposal."

Talia stared blankly at Burke who merely raised an eyebrow in wait. "Ooh," she hummed as realisation dawned. "Well I didn't know if I should ask… what would you do?"

"I would ask me for help," Burke said dryly.

Talia laughed a little. Everything was so bizarre and yet starting to feel like it would be okay. "I'd be very grateful… Help. Please. I'm screwed otherwise."

Burke clapped his hands together with a flourish. "Happy to, my dear girl. Now, as I said, most people can be _reasoned with._ I'll go and talk with him and straighten this out."

Talia wasn't sure how this man defined 'reason'. What if it went bad? She really didn't want to be in debt for one murder barely a day out of the Vault.

"But why? You don't need to get involved with my problems."

Burke shook his head. "There may be something you can help me with, in return. Wait here.

"Gob! Same again on the drinks." Talia watched him stand and saunter behind the bar out of view.

She chewed on her thumbnail until Gob ferried over another round of drinks. She switched her coffee with his scotch. She'd acquired a taste for it when sneaking some out of her dad's stash as a teenager. She chugged a finger or so and tried to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.

After an age of waiting she heard footsteps approaching from behind. She closed her eyes and took another big swig, expecting it to be her last pleasurable corporeal sensation.

"Galaxy News Radio." Mr. Burke lowered himself back into his seat, straightening his suit jacket as he assessed the table.

Talia gawped. "What?"

"That's where your father was heading. It's the radio station that's playing now. The broadcast station is to the east, in the ruins of D.C." Burke swiped his remaining whisky and dropped a glug into the coffee, setting it back down to stir the mixture. "It's not pretty out there though. You'll need some serious weapons and protection to make an excursion. Dangerous mutants and gangs own that land." He took a sip and nodded in approval at his culinary adjustment.

Talia still hadn't closed her mouth. "What did you say to him? Did you… do anything?"

Burke cocked his head dismissively. "You didn't want to pay him, so I found other ways to reason with him. Simple fellow. Like I said, thinks he runs the place, but he's as idiotic as Simms." He sipped his coffee again and leaned back.

Talia looked around for signs of commotion. Nothing. No shouting. No gunshots. No sounds of a large Irish body being discovered. Burke was just enjoying a whisky coffee to close out the meal.

Either he was the most likeable man on the planet and Moriarty had helped out of the goodness of his heart, or he had some serious influence out here.

"Why did Simms let you in to town?"

"Caps. Disappointing really. For all his bluster about 'his town', it all meant nothing for a fairly reasonable price."

Talia regarded Burke with something like awe. He'd solved her predicament in minutes. He just breezed past the men who had her royally screwed as soon as she arrived. He clearly had money, power, and hadn't shown a shred of fear. She decided there and then she would very much like to remain on his good side.

"Thank you, Mr. Burke," she breathed, resting her chin on her palm.

"You're welcome."

She studied his face, trying to read anything about him. "Who _are _you?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You just gotta have some power to breeze in and do all this… like it was nothing?"

Burke smiled knowingly. "Talia, there is so much power to be had. You just have to be willing to take it."

She locked eyes with him. They burned with something like excitement. He embodied total freedom to her. It was intoxicating. _He _was intoxicating.

"You... said I could help you with something?" she croaked.

"Indeed. The reason I am here, in fact." He leant in to the table again. His sudden intensity drew Talia in close.

"I represent… certain interests, and these interests view this town, this 'Megaton'," he spat the word as if it tasted bad, "as a blight on a burgeoning urban landscape. It is… obsolete. The last vestige of a cobbled, desperate past. It needs to… go away.

"I came here to investigate how it could be done. And voilà. These imbeciles have built their wretched hive around a live atomic bomb.

"Yes! You see, the bomb for which this town is named is still very much alive. All it needs is a little… motivation. Motivation which _I_ now possess." He coolly placed a hand on a canvas satchel that had so far sat innocuously by the wall.

"It should be simple enough to _apply_ this motivation, all I need now is a competent… facilitator.

"That is where you come in, my dear girl."

The sudden warmth of Burke's hand on her arm caused Talia to gasp. She was scared, excited, and dumbstruck in equal measure. But she already knew she was in too deep to simply walk away. She said nothing.

He continued passionately. "You have no connections here, am I correct?" The intensity of his gaze demanded an answer.

"...Yes," Talia conceded.

"And you have the information you were seeking?"

"Yes."

"Would I be correct then to assume you have no further interest in this _cesspool's_ affairs?"

"Yeah, I guess."

He gave her a questioning look. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "...Yes."

"Perfect. Then you could help us in erasing this little accident off the map, yes?"

Talia desperately needed a drink but daren't move from Burke's grasp. She blinked and croaked out a word. "Me?"

"Don't you see? You're a free agent! You have no ties here. If this settlement were to disappear, who would care? Certainly not you or I."

Talia couldn't deny Megaton would not be getting any five star reviews from her nor would she choose to visit again.

"Now, it is a job. You will be well compensated. But I am very happy to have found such a promising colleague. So many people out here do nothing but _get by_. Happy to eek out some pathetic existence if it keeps them out of harm's way just a little while longer. But you, I can tell you're different." He gave her arm a final squeeze before slowly sliding his hands away. "Do you understand?"

Talia swallowed. "Yes." He was far more powerful than she thought.

"You're wondering where you'll go from here, no doubt?"

Talia nodded.

"Don't worry, there are plenty of other settlements all over the wasteland. And you'll be paid well enough to live anywhere better than _here._"

Talia grabbed her whisky and gulped. Peering around, nobody was aware they were plotting their demise. "So, you want me to help you… rig the bomb… and vaporise this town. And you'll pay me for it?"

"Handsomely."

Her mind searched for a way out but couldn't find any. Even if she found one, no way would she risk displeasing this man. She had to stay on his good side. She wanted to stay by his side, damn the promise of living anywhere on the map. Was she crazy? Some say being abandoned by your dad, nearly murdered by your neighbours, and exiled by your best friend in one morning can do that.

_Stall. _"How? Isn't it pretty complicated?"

The way he smiled told Talia she was chasing rainbows. "Not at all. I have in my possession a 'fusion pulse charge'. It was constructed for a singular purpose- to detonate that bomb. Simply install it inside the bomb casing and a remote detonator at a safe location will do the rest."

He slid the satchel over to Talia, watching expectantly. That didn't sound so hard. Or likely to work (in her completely uneducated but ever hopeful opinion).

She balked, but soon buckled under his watch and accepted the satchel. "Sounds easy… so why haven't you done it?"

Burke leaned back and stretched his legs. He reached inside his jacket and produced a silver cigarette case. One hand thumbed it open while the other plucked out a smoke and placed it between his lips. He flipped the case shut and replaced it. From a flap pocket he pulled a matte black lighter. It made a _clink_ as he flipped open the lid, igniting a flame in front of his face. The cigarette flared red as he puffed it to life. _A clunk_ shut the lighter. One hand dropped it back in his pocket while the other caught the cigarette between his first and second fingers. He took a languid drag, rested his smoking hand on the table, and exhaled a cloud above their heads before finally answering.

"Considering your situation at the moment, my dear girl, you should be asking yourself that question."

Talia dipped her head briefly, a breath escaping almost as laughter. He was good. And right. She had no money, nowhere to sleep, and he was the only friend she'd made. Sort of. And she owed him. He'd made this decision for her much earlier.

She tipped her head to one side, actually amused by the smug expression on his face. "You don't have any odd jobs need doing at home instead?"

He made a face to indicate he couldn't think of anything.

"You sure? Dodgy switches, new filters, even finicky coffee machines. I'm good at those?"

He shook his head.

She gulped more whisky. "No coffee issues. Okay. That's good. So. How much does this pay?"

"Five hundred caps."

She had no idea if that was a lot, but then all she had to go on was the price of a Megaton shakedown. _Fuck it, go high. _"Do you gamble, Mr. Burke?"

"Go on…"

"Well, I don't know how highly you rate my chances... and I don't know much about gambling come to think of it, but it seems pretty high stakes. How about doubling that if I succeed?"

"And if you don't?"

"I think the Sheriff will have a short but successful career lined up for me in public executions."

Burke snorted. "Very well. Meet me in Tenpenny Tower when it's done. It's to the southwest, well out of harm's way. You can't miss it. If you show up, one thousand caps. If you don't, we can assume the Sheriff is awarding himself a medal."

Burke's smile disappeared for the briefest of moments. "Understand though, I do check up on my contractors. Those that prove themselves… unreliable, tend never to work again.

"Cigarette?"


	4. In For A Penny

What was she supposed to do? She had no choice. Anyone in her situation would have done the same. It would have been crazy not to. Adrift in the wasteland with nothing but the Vault suit on her back. No shelter from the elements. Not a cap to her name.

Talia needed that Sheriff's hat far more than Deputy Weld.

She adjusted the brim one final time before rounding the outer wall of the tower to which Mr. Burke had directed her. It was actually the one she had spotted from the Vault. She wondered if she should have come straight here. Could she have avoided all this?

Hulking concrete blocks skirted the base of the tower, protruding steel rebar in stark contrast to the ornate facade of the main building. They looked several feet thick. She stepped in close and patted one of the blocks, sensing its sheer mass, and realised it loomed more than twice her height. Tenpenny Tower was a _compound._

At the front, some of the original portico remained. A stone roof, still bearing decorative carvings, bridged six thick columns of maybe ten feet in height, boldly framing the approach to the tower's front courtyard.

Entry was barred by steel gates, locked with a hefty magnet. Through it Talia could see the centrepiece to the courtyard- a huge circular stone fountain, albeit dry now. She followed her eyes upward. The tower rose so high she could barely see the spires that topped it from where she stood. It must have been fifteen or twenty stories.

She breathed in awe. She had never had a sense of scale like this. She could recite how much of the mountain was excavated to build Vault 101, or how many miles of corridor wound through its interior, but she had only ever _seen_ it one room at a time.

An intercom blinked off to her left. Clearly someone at Tenpenny Tower, unlike Megaton, had had the radical idea of screening wanderers _before_ they entered. Talia pressed the buzzer, somewhat surprised it actually worked.

"State your name and business," a curt male voice answered.

"My name is Talia D. Weld the second. Is this Tenpenny Tower?"

"Does this look like a tourist information post? Get to the point or get lost. Renters and official business only."

"Yesyesyes, sorry, business, it's business. I'm here to see Mr. Burke." She held her breath.

After a second's pause the voice answered, having now taken on a positively cordial tone. "Oh... well why didn't you say right away? He said to expect somebody. Alright, come on in. And quickly."

Talia slouched in relief. She'd been walking for hours after slipping out of Megaton, wondering if she would actually find anybody at this tower. Aside from the trip itself, the thirst, the aches and bruises forming from Chief Hannon's beating, she was mentally exhausted from the uncertainty of the situation.

As she passed through the gate she glimpsed the guard, waving her on and speaking into a radio. A grizzled face like those in Megaton, but cleaner cut, with tidy hair and a purposeful look about him. Bulletproof armour covered a body that had clearly seen plenty of action, lean but not at all malnourished. To her right a few other men loafed around in what looked like a sheltered bunk area. Each of them carried a rifle and wore the same uniform of tan fatigues and body armour.

"Hey, cowgirl! Fancy a ride?" The off duty guards caught her looking and hollered in her direction.

Talia suddenly found more energy to reach the tower door very quickly, missing the gatekeeper signing to the catcallers the universally understood gesture for 'cut it out, guys. Now. Really. Stop talking. Abort. _Abort _if you value your organs'.

_That's what I'm talking about. _Talia opened the door to another world. The lobby of the tower was resplendent. The ceiling rose high above a mezzanine that overlooked the entrance hall, the two levels connected by a staircase either side of a central elevator. A reception desk in front closed the square. Glittering directly above it was a magnificent crystal chandelier, impressively intact. Inoffensive, timeless elevator music filled the cavernous space, completing the sense that, here, the war had never happened.

Her black Vault-issue boots, now a shade of brown from the wasteland dust, carried her over marble floor tiles. She could feel the eyes of a few well dressed residents who lingered behind the balustrades above, but she was too captivated by the splendor around her to worry.

Another guard watched her expectantly from behind the desk.

"You're the one to see Mr. Burke? Alright, you can wait here, he'll be down soon." The man was polite in the hurried way of someone who had to be.

Talia hooked the string of her hat under her Vault suit zip and slung it over her back. She looked around to find a few chairs and tables set out to the sides of the hall and gratefully took a load off. But she could tell the concierge, for want of a more post-apocalyptic job title, was eyeing her. Probably because she still looked like a bum. She got back up.

"It's been a long day, Mr…?"

"_Chief_. Gustavo. Head of Security. It's been a long month, so unless you have anything important to say, which I doubt, I don't need to hear it."

Talia smiled and swallowed the words that wanted to be spoken. "Chief Gustavo. I just wondered if there is anywhere I can freshen up. I don't want to make the place look untidy. If I had known it was so swanky here I'd have worn my formal Vault suit and had my driver drop me off."

The man returned the same kind of smile and leant back in his chair. "Sure. Just back there on the right. Don't keep Mr. Burke waiting though. I wouldn't. And don't go pokin' around anywhere else."

Talia curtsied and swore she glimpsed a smirk from Gustavo before following his directions. To her absolute delight the bathroom was, in fact, _not_ a bucket or hole in the ground. It was just as complete as the rest of the tower appeared. It was clean with cubicle doors that locked. And there was running water. Which didn't glow. To top it off, above the sinks hung a completely intact mirror.

In the number one bathroom of a totally new mental leaderboard, Talia manically scrubbed clean her face and neck under a tap. When satisfied she'd done what she could she tried to tidy her hair in the mirror.

Maybe it was the blood still marking her Vault suit (or the beginnings of a shiner around her eye), but she wondered if she looked different now she had killed a man.

_Two men,_ she reminded herself.

_(Maybe three, depending how lethal a toaster could be)._

She looked more tired than anything, and her back and arms suddenly complained ten times more while remembering her fight with Hannon. She was definitely getting stiffer by the hour. She wondered if this tower had a jacuzzi.

She'd only just sat back down in the lobby when the elevator door swished open behind Chief Gustavo. She jumped to her feet when she saw the familiar face of Mr. Burke approaching. Despite the occasion, she was actually relieved to see him again, being the only person on the outside she'd formed any kind of relationship with so far. She hadn't enjoyed travelling here alone, despite his assurances she'd run into no trouble.

He strolled casually, but there was a coiled tension to his gait, his expression less easy than in Megaton, poker faced but an eagerness straining his jaw. His tie was loosened and hair tousled, as from hours of tense waiting.

"Talia." Still, his velvet tones caressed the knot in her stomach. "You made it. And so soon."

The way everyone had talked about him so far, she considered curtsying again. She instead shook the hand he offered and forgot how to speak for a second.

"Ungh… yeah I uh... I couldn't realistically hang around in a place that didn't even have a chandelier," she eventually recovered. "But I'm sure you don't really want to small talk, do you?" she added in response to the most transparent of smiles.

"I'm liking you more every second."

"Well, it's done."

He locked her with an intense look and spoke in a low voice. "The pulse charge is rigged?"

Talia nodded.

"Excellent, _excellent_!" His voice rose sharply to a barely contained cheer that made Talia start.

She interjected. "I mean if it's as simple as you say, we're golden. I did just what you said, so if it doesn't work... well, I hope you kept the receipt because that will be a hardware issue." It was always smart to manage expectations.

Burke laughed not entirely jovially and steered Talia toward the elevator with the sheer force of his gaze. "Let us hurry. Come with me upstairs. There you will see a most glorious sight."

Gustavo was _definitely _smirking.

"Is it a jacuzzi?" she murmured, more to herself.

"Hm?" Burke regarded her as he pressed the elevator button.

"Oh, nothing. Although if it's not too late to renegotiate my fee, I'd be very interested in any kind of tub- hot, spa, bath. I'm very flexible."

"Y-es," Burke gave Talia a sidelong glance as they entered the elevator, then stared at the doors as it carried them up.

Talia suddenly thought the car was rather hot, which was strange given the lobby was so cool. She messed with her hair again in the mirror to her left, stealing a glance at Burke's reflection. He was an imposing figure. He stood maybe a head taller than her, and perhaps being enclosed in the car skewed her perception, but there was more weight to him than she'd thought in Moriarty's.

She compared their shoes for the rest of the ride, then lost herself wondering what the wasteland did for shoes, how long her boots would last, and whether she could carry off a pair of DIY brahmin leather moccasins if she had to.

The car jolted to a stop and Talia gasped. _Back to reality. _Burke gestured for her to leave ahead of him, which she did cautiously. They were on a high floor judging by the length of the ride. They stepped out onto a wide landing. Marble benches lined the walls, spot lights softly illuminating each one. A single guard sat overlooking the elevator. He nodded in acknowledgement to Burke. There was nothing else to see except closed doors.

"What is this place?" Talia asked.

"It used to be a hotel," Burke answered brusquely, taking the lead. "Now, it is Mr. Tenpenny's private residence. I assisted him in making it habitable again, and finding the right kind of tenants. It is a symbol of true progress in the wasteland."

"Progress?"

Burke hummed. "You'll see soon enough."

He led her to the side where the main landing narrowed, opening onto an indoor garden. It was only several feet wide, in the centre of small lobby containing two more doors, but Talia stopped to take a closer look. It was the only greenery she'd seen since leaving the Vault.

Burke reached one of the doors and turned. "Mr. Tenpenny's garden. I procured the seeds for him from a Vault, in fact."

Talia had so many questions, but she could sense impatience in Burke's voice so she rejoined him quickly. He ushered her through the door which led back outside, onto a large balcony. Curiosity took over. She ran to the railing at the edge and looked down. The concrete blocks surrounding the tower were mere toy bricks from here.

"So this is the one for the job, is it?" A jovial British voice croaked off to her right. "You sure know how to pick 'em, Mr. Burke!"

An old man was reclined on a leather armchair. He wore a scarlet suit jacket, matching cravat, and high brown boots over white trousers. He didn't get up, and paid Talia no more mind.

Talia looked to Burke for guidance, but he steered her in the opposite direction. "That's Allistair Tenpenny. I'm sure you can get acquainted later, but right now he is rather _anxious _for the show to begin. As are you, I'm sure."

"I think there's a term for what I'm feeling, though it's bound to be much more pant-orientated than 'anxious'."

He shepherded her to a table a few feet to the left. On it sat an ominous looking briefcase. Metal briefcases that lock with a biometric mechanism can only ever be described as ominous.

"The anticipation is palpable, isn't it?" Burke almost whispered into Talia's ear as he pressed his finger to the device to open it. Inside was an even more ominous looking button.

"Now, my dear girl, I will show you what true power is. To think, I found you in that cesspit, afraid of a second rate, overweight drug pusher with questionable facial hair. And now, here you are, about to watch his obliteration.

"When you have finished savouring the moment, you may have the honour of pressing the button.

"Oh, and shield your eyes. It'll be brighter than bright."

Talia cleared her throat. "For the record, I was not _afraid _of Moriarty."

Burke placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. "And what are you afraid of?"

Talia swallowed. Being on a very high ledge with a man who could reasonably be described as a Criminal (-ly insane) Mastermind, who will be very angry if she doesn't push the Big Red Button in his Ominous Metal Briefcase was an unusually specific, but rational fear, she thought.

"Spiders," she said, and slammed her palm on the button, burying her face in the crook of her other arm.

_Click._

Her heart skipped a beat as nothing happened.

Then the most intense, brilliant light filled everything. Despite shielding her eyes with both arms, it was as if the sky itself had been switched on at some cosmic fuse board. It flipped from dusk to noon in an instant, but a thousand times brighter than that. She scrunched her eyelids tighter and turned away. Some dark shadows infiltrated the sheer white saturating her head. She realised after a few seconds that through her eyelids she was seeing the bones in her own arms.

The most intense wave passed and the images couldn't fade soon enough. A wall of heat immediately followed, the likes of which she'd never experienced. It wasn't like entering a hot or humid space such as the lower maintenance levels of the Vault. It was something like if Burke had turned to flame then decided to walk directly through her body.

As the light and heat subsided, she began to lower her arms. Still reeling from the alien sensation of being traversed by a fire ghost, she was not prepared at all for the shockwave that hit them. Even being many miles from Megaton, the air was still moving so fast that the force knocked Talia backward. She lost her footing and crumpled to the ground. She decided to stay down there for the time being. Her hunch was right as a deafening boom came next. It was short, but followed by a long and terrible roaring that she waited out in a ball on the ground.

When all was quiet, she peered up. Burke had stopped bracing into the wind and everything seemed to have calmed down. She pulled herself back to her feet, using the railing for support. She faced an image straight out of countless school books. On the horizon, and in fact high into the sky above it, churned a fireball of such immense size and ferocity it brought tears to Talia's eyes. But the tears refused to fall and backed up on the brim of her eye socket, too scared to leave.

The sky was no longer white, the only light now the hellish orange cloud at the site of the detonation. It rolled angrily atop a stem of smoke and fire. As her eyes adjusted she recognised the infamous mushroom cloud of atomic destruction. It moved ceaselessly but held its form, as if something alive; the monster that defined her life, the very reason she grew up in a hole in the ground, out here to greet her now she had emerged.

The mushroom stem grew, the ball seeming to draw more smoke and fire up from the ground to propel itself higher and higher into the atmosphere. Talia's heart raced as she wondered when it would stop, if it would stop, or would they be engulfed, scorched and choked by the flames and smoke.

However, eventually the fireball began to dim, the growth slowed, the cloud finally settling at some height after many minutes of silent observation. Only dark smoke silhouetted against a twilight sky remained, looking so solid that Talia couldn't imagine the miles-high mushroom would ever simply dissipate in the wind.

"Now that, my friend, is beautiful," Burke crooned to her left.

Talia couldn't completely disagree. There was no rule that said something couldn't be beautiful as well as profoundly horrifying. Burke sounded moved. She took what comfort she could from his tone in the hope it would rub off on her and she might regain full use of her legs. Unthinkingly she reached out for his arm.

"Well done Mr. Burke! What a grand display of fireworks! I almost wish we had more nukes we could detonate. You don't see that very often." Tenpenny applauded from the other end of the balcony.

Burke stepped back from the table and turned to the tower's owner. "I'm glad you're pleased. I had help, of course."

It seemed like the moment for Talia to say something witty or astute and cement her status with the top dog as the one who brought him tonight's entertainment. But she was, admittedly, rather out of her depth. She waved.

Tenpenny didn't seem to notice. "Quite right. And you are to offer her the reward we discussed. Now, all this bright light and wind has given me quite a thirst. Where's my scotch?"

"I'll send someone up as soon as business is concluded with our friend here." Burke gestured for Talia to go back inside.

"Righto. And be quick about it. I haven't been dry in years, I'd hate to start now!" Tenpenny chuckled and settled back into his chair.

Back in the indoor garden, Talia leant on one of the pillars that cornered the arrangement. She studied her hands. No bones visible.

"Did that really happen?"

"Yes. Beautiful, wasn't it? Transcendent..." Burke still sounded wistful.

"No, I mean the war. _That _happened, like, hundreds of times all over the whole planet?"

"Well, yes."

"Holy shit."

"Not how I would put it, but I echo your sentiment."

She sat on the small wall that enclosed the plants and stared into the distance while Burke lit a cigarette.

After a few drags he sat next to her, all the tension in his body gone, his voice calm and soothing. "What you did, it was a great thing. That place, those people… all necessary sacrifices for a better, nobler future."

Talia tried to allow his words to comfort her, but frowned. "Oh no, don't give me all the... credit. I put a thing inside another thing and pushed a button. _You're_ the one who engineered all this. I wouldn't want to take away from what you did. Which is almost everything. I barely even featured if we're being honest."

"Who are you trying to convince?"

Talia gave Burke a hopeless look before he conceded a nod. "I suppose you are correct in some respects. But you are integral to this... you should be proud of your accomplishment."

Talia wasn't sure she understood, but Burke was speaking so tenderly she found it hard not to believe him. "I thought I was just someone you hired to take the risk for you?"

Burke blanched.

"I was pretty slow but I realised on the way here, there was no special reason you needed me. You'd just rather someone else get vaporised if the thing went off while rigging it. Right?"

Burke took another drag before cocking his head in acquiescence. "It was the sanest course of action, wouldn't you say?"

"Uh, the sane way to sneak around blowing up old nukes? Sure." Talia regarded Burke quizzically. He was completely serious.

"Despite that," he responded, "I couldn't simply hire any idiot. I believe fortune played a hand in our meeting today. Truly." He stood when she continued to look baffled. "Stop questioning it. Had we not met, you would not be one thousand caps richer, would you?"

Talia gawped as he dropped the bag into her hands. She'd almost forgotten about their deal.

"You took a leap and are rewarded. And," he motioned for her to follow him. "I have been asked to extend to you an invitation to reside here at Tenpenny Tower."

Talia caught up with him on the main landing. "To live here? Really?"

"That is what I mean by 'reside', yes." He held his cigarette between his lips while he retrieved a key from his pocket. He raised his eyebrows waggishly at Talia as he opened the door next to the elevator. "This will be your master suite, should you accept. The deed is inside."

Talia passed by Burke into a bedroom suite six times the size of her quarters back in the Vault. "Wait. Deed? You mean I'd… own it?"

"The penthouse suites are reserved for Mr. Tenpenny, myself, and VIPs. Mr. Tenpenny only charges rent for those on the lower floors."

Talia ate up the king size bed, _Mr. Handy_ personal assistance robot, private balcony, and an absurd amount of personal space- over three times the Vault-Tec guide ratio for recommended private space per adult human resident. (She really should figure out how to forget some Vault statistics. She worried it could be taking up space in her brain for more useful knowledge).

She bit her lip. "I really should read this over, shouldn't I? I'm a wreck though. Can I get some sleep before signing anything?"

Burke shrugged. "If you wish."

Talia moved toward the inviting bed (did she mention it was king size?) then paused. "Does this place come with a bath?"

Burke beckoned her with a twitch of his head, smirking like a man who knew he'd made the sale. At the far end of the room, in the corner, was another door which opened to a room about the size of her old bedroom. In the centre, atop a rich red rug, stood a deep claw-foot bathtub.

"We draw power to the tower from the old metro lines underground. It's no jacuzzi, but we do get hot water up here."

Talia braced herself on the door jambs, fighting the urge to strip off and climb in there and then. "Mr. Burke, you have yourself a new neighbour."


	5. The Nuclear Option

Burke was in high spirits as he made his way northeast. The image of the nuclear blast the previous night still burned in his mind. The heat, the power, the purifying light. The absoluteness of it was inspiring. It was more satisfying than he had anticipated. The fusion pulse charge was worth all the effort for the spectacle alone.

And Talia, what a stroke of fortune she was. He'd meant what he said to her. He needed a newcomer to Megaton to play a part in his plan, but it couldn't be just anyone. He'd thank the inhabitants for giving her such a poor welcome if they were anything more than a pile of dust. The thought made him smile again. She hadn't even hesitated to press the button. She should be no trouble at all, and perhaps she'd even make Tenpenny Tower a little more interesting.

The scrapyard gate came into view and he paused, pulling out a pair of binoculars. He scanned the yard for any movement for several minutes. Seeing nothing amiss, he continued and entered, heading toward a run down shack that was almost lost within the stacks of scrap. He produced a key from his pocket and unlocked the shack door.

Inside he removed his hat and flung it at a desk where a smartly dressed woman was busily hammering on a typewriter. It hooked itself over her desk lamp, causing her to look up. Her face betrayed no surprise, more an expectant kind of annoyance.

"Burke! Where have you been? I've been trying to find out if you were caught in the blast. There's been a nuclear explosion."

"Miss Underwood. Yes, I know all about the nuke. Did you see it?"

The woman moved his hat aside, straightening her lamp. "The whole Capital Wasteland saw it. I thought I was finally rid of you. I knew you had a contract for someone out there."

"Well, I'm still here. For your sins. What did you think? It was… _breathtaking, _wasn't it?"

Miss Underwood raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow and snatched the papers Burke had pulled from his briefcase. "What's a girl have to do to get you to talk about _her _like that?"

Burke perched on the corner of her desk. "Well if she's bright, _very _hot, and lets me push her buttons…"

"She'll burn you to a cinder?" Miss Underwood interrupted, evicting Burke from her desk with a freshly sharpened pencil to the thigh. "You can go in. I can see your contracts are all here but you'll need to talk to the boss about the lack of proof."

Burke jerked back, smoothing over his trousers where the pencil had indented. He grumbled in agreement and shambled to a door behind the secretary's desk.

He swung it open and stepped across the threshold. Facing him, dwarfed behind a solid wood executive desk, waited an elderly, balding man in a dark grey suit and deep red tie. Gimlet eyes pierced Burke.

"Ah, Mr. Burke. It's been a while. Taking a vacation? Perhaps you went to New Vegas?"

Burke closed the door behind him. "Mr. Littlehorn. I have no interest in games of chance. The day I go to Vegas will be the day I _own_ Vegas, as I'm sure you understand."

"Yes. A pity, you ought to let your hair down once in a while. Maybe take up a new drug?"

"I still drink and smoke, if it pleases you."

"It will have to do. So, what has kept you away? Do you have contracts to turn in?"

"I do. Miss Underwood has the paperwork. I need you to confirm one, Lucas Simms. He died in that nuclear blast so there was no body left for me to take the usual token."

"Ah, yes. That was quite an event. Well, I'll take your word he perished, but I can't approve payment for an accidental death."

"It was no accident, sir."

"Pardon me?"

"I organised the detonation of that bomb. It's why I've been gone so long."

Littlehorn blinked a few times and sat forward in his seat. "Good God, man. Just to take out one man? I know he was a Regulator but it can't have been that difficult to get to him. 'Overkill' doesn't begin to cover it!"

Burke rose a few inches, chest puffing out. "That town was a putrescent waste of space. Those people- worth twice as much in death as in life."

Littlehorn sat back, rubbing his cheek with one hand. "But to whom? I can only authorise the standard fee for Simms' contract. I'm not even sure our investors won't be unhappy about this, Burke. They want us to hunt down do-gooders and aspiring messiahs. I'm not sure their plans involve wiping entire towns off the map."

"The town was just waiting for a messiah it could rally behind. Call it preventative. Anyway, that bomb could have gone off at any moment."

"I'm not saying I don't agree, Burke. Or that I'm not impressed. Your imagination surprises even me sometimes. But don't you think you can be a little… over zealous? I appreciate the poetic nature of this bomb going off, but in pure economic terms it makes no sense to go quiet for so long organising such a large 'accident' in order to claim one contract. Tell me, are you quite mad?"

Burke laughed, which did nothing to allay Littlehorn's concerns.

"Well, sir," Burke began, pacing the office. "It wasn't about Simms. Do you remember I outlined my idea for _creating_ new associates instead of just waiting to hear about individuals with potential?"

"Yes."

"Well, when I entered Megaton looking for Simms, I saw that bomb and realised it was the key. It took me several weeks to gain proof of concept for the detonation, and weeks more to be in a position to initiate phase one. After that, it was a waiting game for the right candidate.

"Yesterday, I found her. I'd go so far as to say she's the perfect candidate. Indeed, so far she has been reluctant but compliant. _She_ was the one who rigged the bomb, and she detonated it herself! It was a complete success.

"So now I am ready to move onto phase two. I am very confident it will continue in such a manner."

Littlehorn arched his index fingers over his lips in contemplation. "You persuaded a neutral mark to destroy the town? That _is _something. And now you think that she's already so far down our path, she'll carry on?"

"Yes, sir. There's certainly enough to work with for the foreseeable future."

"Very interesting, Mr. Burke. If this works it will be a game changer. With such an eccentric scheme you'll make quite a name for yourself here… one way or the other. I'll be very interested to see how this plays out. In the meantime, perhaps research whether phase one can proceed _without _the nuclear option, in case this becomes standard practice.

"And please, consider a holiday." He gave Burke a final concerned look as he paid out for Lucas Simms' contract, and waved him out.

Burke strode back to Miss Underwood's desk and swiped his hat. "It pains me to say goodbye, Miss Underwood. But then, apparently," he snapped up her pencil before she looked up, "it also pains me to say hello."

"Keep it," she said, barely interrupting her typing. "Goodbye, Burke. Do be more careless when the next bomb goes off, won't you?"

"Be careful what you wish for. I'd be back to haunt you." He put on his hat and opened the shack door.

"Naturally. Why should I expect you to have an _after_life of your own, either?"

He glared at the secretary from the other side of the threshold. She continued typing. A sudden gust of cold air materialised and the door slammed shut before he could respond. He whirled toward the gate and tossed the pencil into the dirt.

Of course he worked for Daniel Littlehorn. Anybody without a moral compass ended up on his payroll somehow. It seemed to be an inexorable rule of the Capital Wasteland. Not that he minded. He'd cut his teeth as a contract killer in his youth, so there was no quandary when he'd awoken over a decade ago to find a note directing him to the scrapyard office. His main effort then was to become Tenpenny's most trusted aide, but it was always wise to have several income streams.

Besides, _Littlehorn & Associates _was not like other contractors- and not only in that it appeared impossible to ignore them. The work was very open ended- a quirk of whoever was paying the company to operate in the Capital Wasteland, seemingly indefinitely. Which meant it was perfect for Burke to make a name for himself there while solidifying his position with Tenpenny. And he had. Over the years he had become a regular and reliable agent, Littlehorn eventually giving him the go ahead to recruit new members, which brought its own commission from their early contracts.

But recruitment was too active a word for what he did, which was offer to bring people into the fold. But that depended on happening upon the right kind of person. So Burke had wondered about creating his own agents. Littlehorn had liked the idea, calling it one of his more useful schemes. Besides the benefits to the company and his pocket, Burke much preferred the idea of personally _moulding_ someone into an associate.

The nuke? Well, perhaps he could have begun his plan in another place with another task for another candidate. But how could he resist? He despised Megaton, and here was a chance to cleanse the wasteland of its presence while taking out his contracted target at the same time. It was all wrapped up in one place, as though meant to be. Plus, it gave him reason to invite the candidate into the tower, to live under his tutelage; with a subtle nudge, Tenpenny had mentioned how Megaton was such an ugly smear on the view, and so it had become _his _idea to raze the town. Thus the project was funded, work could begin, and the one to help Tenpenny's dear Mr. Burke with the task would certainly be given VIP status.

Burke smiled as he replayed the details of his scheme in his mind. Perhaps, despite all his ratiocination, the biggest draw for him had been the underlying premise of taking someone unsuspecting, a blank slate, and convincing them to do what he asked. It was a skill he'd commanded since childhood, but rarely utilised for anything so exorbitant. When he'd seen the bomb, he couldn't get it out of his mind. Day and night he machinated, playing out imaginary conversations with endless potential candidates. He _had_ to see that bomb go off at another's hand. It would be, as he discovered when Talia joined him on the balcony, an exquisite testament to his prowess, and the signing of a quiet covenant between him and his new associate.


	6. Daring Dashwood Returns: A Crock Of Shot

Outside, a few hundred feet above the Capital Wasteland dirt, fresh air filled Talia's lungs as she inhaled deeply, the acrid tinge not as potent at this height but still becoming preferable to the stale air of the Vault every day she spent outside of it. Pulling back her shoulders and stretching open her arms to her new world, she felt as if she grew six inches taller. On the balcony of Tenpenny Tower, _her_ balcony, she revelled in how the afternoon sun warmed her skin, cooled by the breeze that danced across her face. Never had the Vault felt so much like a cage, a petri dish. This was real. She was alive.

Barely, as her body reminded her. She collapsed forward again, cursing as the deep breaths stretched her heavily bruised side just too far for comfort. Hannon had really done a number on her. She spent the first day in the tower in bed, buried beneath ice packs. Half her left side was black and blue, but the in-house doctor assured her the bruises were superficial and would fade in a few weeks. He'd bandaged her left forearm to reduce any swelling, but her Pip-Boy had taken the brunt of the force when she'd raised her arm to defend herself. The doc said she'd likely have a fractured ulna if she hadn't been wearing it. Stanley from Vault maintenance had always said the old 3000 model was heavy... but reliable.

Aside from that, the partial marathon she did that day had rendered her unwilling to shuffle any further than the bathroom. The domestic robot that came with the suite, named Godfrey, helped with everything else. It was the same model they had in the Vault, only theirs was called Andy. It was a touch of familiarity that was not unwelcome, though it stung a little.

When she felt mobile, she explored the shops on the ground floor. Despite looking like a Vault-Tec punchbag, or maybe because of that, a haughty man who ran the clothing store helped her pick out some fresh outfits. It might have just been her caps talking, but she'd warmed to him by the time he finished advising her. She'd never had much choice about clothing before, and Anthony stocked an impressive range of pre-war clothing. So his assurances that the dresses he recommended looked fabulous on her were the only thing that sealed the deal. She was _comfortable _in a jumpsuit, but there was something about his room full of pretty, glamourous, elegant dresses that made her… excitable. Giddy. _Girly_. And he seemed to get it.

She hadn't expected to be learning to walk in heels after leaving the Vault, but life's full of surprises, and at least it was better than the last surprise life had gifted her. A few days feeling sorry for herself following her harsh expulsion to the outside world had given her time to reflect. Her chances of surviving in this world, much less prospering, were looking slim. She had a lot of catching up to do. If she wanted to go anywhere, she'd have to learn to fight. Or at least get conditioned to taking a pummelling. Because this _sucked._

But Burke had survived. To a decent age considering the state of the world. And prosper might as well be his middle name; the man had an empire. Of what, Talia wasn't exactly sure, but she was content not to question. She simply wanted _in_ with her new… Neighbour? Boss? Friend? She wasn't sure of that either. But she knew he despised victims, so she had heaved herself out of bed to start creating her new life.

Turning from the balcony, she padded back into her suite and lowered herself onto the footlocker beside Godfrey.

"Good afternoon, Madame!" the machine chirped in a plummy British voice. "What can I do for you?"

"I need a haircut, please, Godfrey." She'd done nothing in particular with her hair in the Vault. She was always too busy to bother. New home, new clothes, new do, she thought.

"Certainly. I am programmed with a multitude of hair shaping scenarios. If you would care to choose one, I would be happy to replicate it for you."

"Can robots be happy?" Talia pondered while pointing out a sleek, straight cut with a side parting on Godfrey's maintenance unit monitor.

"I'll be sure to inform you if I ever encounter one that is. Now, do hold still."

The robot's main body was a steel sphere, which hovered by means of a vertical thruster unit. Three optical sensors protruded around the top and three flexible arms extended below it, each equipped with interchangeable tools for various household tasks. Currently 'he' wielded a comb and scissors in two arms, while the other spritzed Talia's head with water from his condenser unit.

"Protocol dictates I ask you if you have any vacations planned, madame?"

"Well, I suppose this is my vacation, Godfrey. You could say I'm on indefinite leave from my old job."

"Ah, how wonderful for you. A robot can dream…"

"Can it?"

"It has been postulated, madame."

"Well, do you dream?"

"Me? _No_, madame. What could my advanced neural network possibly conjure that would surpass my existence here as your Robobutler?"

"Is your sarcasm chip overactive, Godfrey?"

"Sensors indicate negative, madame."

When he was finished she admired her new style in the mirror. She'd dare to say she looked sophisticated if it wasn't for the black eye. Well, the makeup she'd also purchased from Anthony's store should cover that. She wanted to smarten up as much as she could, in her current condition. Burke had left on a short trip the morning after Talia had accepted the suite. He was due back today, and he wanted to see her that evening, in the lobby.

"Godfrey… I don't suppose you have any files in your memory about makeup and bruising?"

* * *

A few hours later, the elevator doors parted on lobby level, and feet in a pair of black slingback heels stepped out. Talia smoothed down her black circle dress yet again, only marginally confident she didn't look ridiculous. She'd abandoned covering the bruise on her face. Apparently it was another skill to be able to use various skin cosmetics and not look like a clown. So, bruised and bandaged, she opted for the black dress with a high neckline over the more, _ahem_, _girly _items she also bought. At least she might look vaguely professional. And it did coordinate well with the dark tones surrounding her eye, which ought to count for something.

Burke was talking to Gustavo at the desk. He looked up as the elevator bell chimed. He saw Talia exit and muttered a hasty goodbye. Moving around the desk, stepping deliberately slowly, his tongue slipped over his lips briefly before a hand ran over a five o'clock shadow.

Talia dipped her chin so her hair hung just in front of her face, though she fought to stand tall and walk smoothly like the other women in the tower. _Does this get any easier?_ She should have just worn her boots and cargo pants.

She looked up again at Burke, who was covering his jaw with a hand, elbow resting on his other arm that crossed his torso. "You wanted to see me?" She rubbed one arm with her opposing hand, stopping a few paces away.

Burke rubbed his jaw before dropping the hand away and clearing his throat. "Talia… yes, right on time… you're, er, looking well…"

Talia smiled awkwardly, embarrassed. "I thought I'd try smarten up… I feel kind of ridiculous right now though." She gestured to her bruised face and bandaged arm.

Burke stroked his throat again as he regarded her, speaking in a low voice. "No, it's no matter… if I might say so, you look, well, wonderful."

Talia felt herself blushing. "Oh..! Um, thanks… you didn't exactly catch me at my best in Megaton, so anything's an improvement I guess." She laughed and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"You're too harsh," Burke replied softly. After a second he cleared his throat again and looked around as though he'd heard something. "Shall we?" He stepped back and motioned for her to walk with him.

"Where are we going?"

"To dinner. And then, I predict, to the bar. I feel like celebrating." His demeanour was back to normal. Excited. Cryptic. Mystifying.

"What are we celebrating?" Talia probed with an eye roll.

"Life, my dear girl!" Burke exclaimed, turning to her with arms raised high and an electrifying look about him.

Talia humoured him with a wry smile, though she couldn't help but enjoy his zeal. In a way she had a new life, a second life, after escaping the death the Overseer had planned for her. She would celebrate.

So, when he led her to a table in _Café Beau Monde, _she ordered the best food and wine available, which Burke informed her was brahmin steak and a bottle of 2071 vintage wine. She protested, remembering the two headed cow from Megaton, but he assured her Tenpenny Tower imported only the finest meat from the brahmin ranchers out west, which hadn't been hit as badly and where plants grew outside (though the brahmin still had two heads).

"It's a great find to discover any store of wine that has been well preserved," he told her as she sipped. "If the bottle is damaged or has degraded at all since the war, air will have gotten in and ruined the flavour. We have plenty of bottles that survived well enough in storage here, but I find this year one of the best. What better time to open it?"

"Cheers," Talia raised her glass. "I see Tenpenny Tower has its priorities in order," she smirked.

Burke huffed. "I whipped this place into shape years ago, so yes, resources can be spent on the finer things, to be enjoyed. It's the finest place to live in the wasteland. People are _dying _to get in here." He sniffed and sat back to sip from his glass.

Talia shifted in her seat. "I didn't mean anything by it, Mr. Burke. I was just joking around…"

"Yes, I know. You are positively a breath of fresh air around here, my dear girl."

Talia smiled, looking down at her glass.

"And call me Burke."

"Just Burke? No first name?"

"None that I've used for decades now."

"Okay, sure thing… so what is it?"

"Not important."

"I'm just curious… Henry? No, David? William?"

Burke blinked as Talia reeled off names watching for a reaction. "It's highly unlikely you're going to guess like that. I suggest you stop."

"Aw… was I close though?"

Burke just shrugged, giving old Miss Magaret Primrose, the cafe's proprietor, a thankful look as she interrupted to place some bread on the table.

"Here you go Mr. Burke. I've brought extra bread, so dig in. Miss Talia here looks like she could use a good meal!" The kindly old woman gave Talia an affectionate smile, and Talia conceded a nod to her comment. There seemed to be ample food supply here, whereas they'd been on rations in the Vault.

"Indeed," Burke replied. "You know she was practically a street urchin when I found her? Begging in that run down old shanty town, covered in dirt. Oh, she was in a terrible state."

Margaret looked on her with sad eyes, while Burke's flashed with amusement. "Oh dear, how awful," Margaret crooned. "Well, you'll soon feel better, Talia. Tenpenny Tower is the best possible place you could be."

Talia smiled sweetly at the old woman. "Thank you, Miss Primrose." Margaret left and Talia turned to Burke, shooting daggers through her impressively maintained saccharine expression.

Burke buttered a piece of bread and ate it before responding. "She'll be giving you extras now for weeks. You're welcome."

After the bread was gone, Talia addressed what had really been on her mind. "Mis- Burke, sir… I wanted to ask you something. I am acutely aware that I'm really not a very capable wastelander. I don't know anything about the outside world, I'm not much good in a fight, I pissed off everyone in that town… is there some way I can learn? Can you teach me?"

A smile grew slowly across Burke's face, and he leaned in. "That's a very sensible idea. You sell yourself short again, but yes. Start with Chief Gustavo. He runs security around here, but he does enforce regular training with his men. Tell him I suggested he include you in weapons training. That seems a good place to start.

"If you want the gorey details of the wasteland, speak to old Herbert Dashwood. He's been around."

Talia beamed at such an immediate solution to her concern. "Oh, wow. Okay. Thanks. I'll do that."

Burke nodded. "You're a doer, Talia. I like that. Now, tell me all about _how_ you escaped that Vault."

* * *

"So then, he says something… about my… my dead fucking mom!"

The residents clustered around Talia gasped in horror as she regaled her story again in the _Federalist Lounge, _Tenpenny Tower's bar_,_ several hours after she and Burke had finished dinner.

"What a piece of work!"

"He didn't?!"

"Scoundrel!"

Talia nodded sagely. "I know, I know, can you believe it? So I don't even say anything, I just stare at him, right in his shithead, grey eyes, and I just open up. Boom. Boom. Bang. I don't even know how many rounds. Eat that, shithead. And he's gone. And I just walk out. Out of his _secret fucking tunnel!_"

The group crowed and booed at this twist as Talia sat back in her seat. "I need another drink," she slurred, peeling herself from the couch.

As she meandered her way to the bar, a pair of hands landed on her shoulders. "I've got a better idea," Burke's rich voice swam in her ears, firm and loaded with anticipation of something he was about to reveal.

Talia turned to him questioningly.

"Come with me," he said, rather mootly as he steered her away from the bar and back toward the lobby.

"Everyone, outside, now! The birds will be flying in ten minutes!" Burke bellowed to the packed bar, which erupted in a raucous cheer and immediately flowed out behind them.

Gathered in the front courtyard with some of the other residents, illuminated by exterior spotlights, Talia turned to Herbert 'Daring' Dashwood, the retired adventurer who'd come down for a drink when he heard the bar getting busy. "Daring, what's going on?"

"Oh you'll enjoy this, kiddo. I think Burke came up with the idea years ago, I forget now. Have you ever heard of clay pigeon shooting? Some pre-war hobby, apparently. We have our own version here. Nothing like getting out and shooting real wasteland beasts, but good practise, and you can do it whenever you want, in your own front yard!"

A few minutes later, a couple of men appeared with two crates of crockery, Burke following with a double barrelled shotgun in hand. "No way!" Talia laughed.

"Way," Herbert nodded.

Burke approached Herbert. "You want the first shot, old boy? Show our new neighbour how it's done." He handed Herbert the shotgun and a box of ammunition, who checked the condition of the gun and nodded in acknowledgement.

Burke turned to Talia. "You played baseball, yes? You got a good arm on you?"

"Uh, pretty good, I think?".

"Excellent." He patted her shoulder heavily then steered her away from Herbert, to where the crates had been set down to the side. "What I want you to do is take something from this crate, wait for the shooter to shout 'pull', then launch it up there, in a nice high arc over the wall. Got it?"

"You're kidding!" Talia questioned with a grin.

"Not at all. This is junk. Got tons of the stuff in the storage floors."

"They're 'ten a penny', huh?"

Burke shook his head at the joke. "Careful making puns that bad with firearms around. Now, you ready?"

Talia laughed and began drawing circles with her elbow to warm up her throwing arm. "You bet."

"Excellent." He turned to Herbert. "Daring! Weapons free! Weapons free!" He retreated from the shooting line, joining the crowd watching from behind Herbert.

Talia picked up a side plate from the crate and tried to focus on a point well above the walls.

"Pull!" Herbert yelled.

Talia sent the plate soaring upward like a frisbee. Herbert tracked it with both barrels. An impressive _boom_ as he fired. The plate shattered high above their heads, shards flying in all directions.

The crowd cheered.

"Great throw, Talia!" Herbert laughed. "A few more like that, would you!"

Talia obliged, Herbert hitting every single one.

"Alright, let our girl have a go," Herbert said eventually, as he offered the position of shooter to Talia.

She ran over excitedly.

Burke took the weapon off Herbert's hands. "You ever fire anything other than that pistol of yours?" he asked her.

"I had a BB gun since I was ten," she laughed, comparing the puny toy (despite what her dad always told her about it not being one) to this.

"Well, not totally dissimilar. It's very simple. Holds two shots, one in each barrel, see?" He broke open the gun with a lever, shaking out a pair of smoking shells and pointing out the empty barrels. "Nothing in there now, so you take it."

She took hold of the gun, noticing the strong smell of the powder, eyes drawn to the smoke still rising.

Burke stepped behind her to continue talking her through it. "Take two shells, put them in this way round, close the action."

She did as he said and clicked the gun back together so the barrel lined up with the stock.

"Now, you're loaded and cocked, so don't point that thing at anything you don't want to kill. Now," his arms came over her shoulders and took a hold of her wrists, "you want to hold it like this, keep the stock pushed into your shoulder because it has a hell of a kick, that's it."

He leant into her, nudging her left leg forward with his foot, pushing the back of her thigh with his knee. "Sink into your front leg a little, gives you a steady frame, you can absorb the recoil. Perfect."

He rested a hand on her right shoulder and spoke into her left ear, leaning close so his eyes were level with hers and she could feel his breath on her cheek. "Now, aim down the line between the two barrels, and when you're ready, shout 'pull', and follow the bird with this posture the whole way. Where your eyes go, your body follows, understand?" He guided her arm supporting the barrel up and to the left, nudging her body with his to turn as she followed the imaginary target.

"You have one trigger for each barrel. Two shots, then you have to reload. Got it?"

Talia could barely hear him through her pounding heart. "I… I got it," she answered with a long, measured sigh as Burke broke away from her.

She looked at the new thrower to check he was ready, aimed for the sky, and shouted, "pull!"

She watched the plate soar from his hand, did her best to view it down the barrels, and squeezed the trigger. She was so focussed on bracing for the recoil she didn't really think she would hit it anyway. Hearing the sound of the shots fired by Herbert had convinced her she might be knocked over if she didn't pay attention.

It wasn't so bad, but as Burke said, it had a hell of a kick. "Fuck me!" She exclaimed, dazed but invigorated by the immense boom. "I want one of these!" she laughed over her shoulder.

She called for the second target, comfortable with the weapon now, and to her delight and surprise, scored a hit. She turned to cheer with the crowd, high fiving Herbert. He guided her to reload and she scored a few more before her turn was up.

* * *

"Seriously? How did no one get shot? Everyone's shit-faced." Up on the balcony in the small hours of the morning, Talia pondered hazily to Burke about the nature of that night's party.

Burke, reclined in an armchair, undid his tie and sighed wearily. "They're posh… they have a unique ability to do just about anything while inebriated."

Talia giggled. "Herbert's not posh."

"He is a degenerate. Haven't you read his memoirs yet? He learned, shooting his way out of every saloon in the wasteland."

His tone was deadpan but Talia could tell he was only joking about the old adventurer. "You two are pals, huh?"

Burke hummed while lighting a cigarette. "He's been here a long time. Very interesting fellow to have around."

_Interesting. _Talia gazed at the man in the chair next to her. The charming stranger who could get his hands on nuclear tech and almost definitely killed people for a living (at least sometimes). Also hotelier, life and soul of the party, and very aesthetic smoker. He'd roped her into detonating a nuke, and yet she found herself stealing glances, wanting to know more about him, stomach fluttering when he stood close. She certainly found him _interesting._

Maybe she had gone crazy. She rose and walked to the balustrade. The night sky was magnificent, but tonight the ground below drew her attention. Empty, silent, dead. She'd grown up in a bustling Vault. Even as the population was dwindling, she was never far from people, an announcement on the speaker system, one of Old Lady Palmer's poems. Her mental picture of the outside world had been cobbled together from books and stories of life before the war.

"Is there a word for being sad for something you never knew?" she wondered out loud.

"Mm, probably in German," Burke muttered, cigarette muffling his words.

"...Igno-stalgia," Talia quipped.

After a languorous drag, Burke spoke out. "There's no point mourning it, Talia. We're already building the future now. This tower is just the start."

One tower in this vast desert didn't seem like a lot, but then maybe that's what you needed. Fewer, stronger compounds. The desert was vast and full of dangers.

"This tower is wild," she deflected, turning back to Burke with a grin. "Man, we had a few parties in the Vault, but we weren't allowed too many people and they had a fuckin' _time_ limit. You have a lot of nights like this?"

"Once in a while. There are a few stuffy old bores that don't like it, but I'll ensure their complaints never gain any traction. The wasteland is miserable enough as it is without sucking the fun out of this place too."

"Nice. Well, definitely a chart topping party."

Burke presented his palms to the sky as if to say 'obviously'. "Obviously" he said.

Talia laughed then raised her hand to stop him. "_Except…_ maybe my tenth birthday. I punched a boy for stealing my present and shot a radroach. Pretty rad."

"Why am I not surprised?" Burke rested his cigarette back between his lips and linked his hands behind his head.

"Dad was always telling me to stand up for myself. Then he was all, 'no not like that Tali'. Pfft. Well, who got their sweetroll back and was never bothered again, huh?" She pointed to herself with her thumbs. "Muhammad Tali, that's who."

She wouldn't use the word 'giggle', but Burke laughed in a way she hadn't heard before, and a warmth spread through her chest and cheeks.

She smiled softly, peering down at her feet. She wiggled her toes, having slipped out of her heels as soon as she got inside. "It's really great here," she murmured, wrestling nothing more articulate from her foggy mind. "Thanks for getting me in, I guess… I really don't know what I would have done if…" she trailed off.

Burke heaved himself forward in his chair and finished her sentence. "If you had not met me. You don't need to think about that, my dear girl. You'll do well here."

Talia met his gaze, so steady and sure. She wrapped herself in his certainty and looked down again. "Well, I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Burke." She picked up her shoes and tucked her hair behind her ear, flashing him a final smile as she passed.

"Goodnight," he replied, glancing back briefly as she disappeared into the tower.


	7. Girls Just Wanna Have Funds

"That should do it- ow! Fuck's sake..." Gustavo watched Talia rub her head as she crawled out from underneath his desk in the lobby.

The new girl had been in the tower for a few weeks. He'd been instructed to include her in the weapons training undertaken by his men, so he'd seen a fair bit of her. He only had to mention to his guys that she was here at Burke's behest and they kept their hands to themselves. In fact, she seemed to fit in pretty well for a kid from a Vault. She'd bought a shotgun from him right after seeing him about training and she was outside at the range as much as she could be without burning through all the ammunition she could afford. She was a change of pace when it came to new residents, that was for damn sure.

Gustavo scooted back his chair to give Talia more room to clamber out of the deskspace. "So now I just dial the extension on that and I can speak to anyone in the tower?"

Talia nodded, adjusting her Vault 101 work suit as she straightened up. "Yep. Well- anyone else with a phone connected. Which at the minute is just me, you, the doctor and the cafe. There's a few more phones, so I can wire up suites as requested."

"Right," Gustavo scratched his chin. "Prioritise VIP first. It would be useful to have Tenpenny and Burke on the line before anyone else. But at least now I can order my lunch without leaving my post."

"Riiight," Talia said with a raised eyebrow.

"_Right_," he reiterated firmly. "How did you do this again?"

Talia shrugged. "Burke let me in to one of the storage floors to look for some parts to fix my Pip Boy, and I saw a bunch of phones up there. The walls are full of copper cable from before the war. They still carry a signal just fine for calling room to room, and I thought it would be pretty cool. I just needed a PBX and some cables to link them up."

She grinned while Gustavo nodded along, grateful to now have a direct line to various people in the tower from his desk. He called it his operations centre.

"A lot more operational now, huh?" she said.

"Yes it is," Gustavo hummed. "Nice work, 101."

The storage floor in question was a warehouse of household miscellany, cleared from inside the tower itself to make way for the new residents' belongings. It just took someone with enough free time who didn't mind a lot of dust to actually find something useful up there.

"Thanks Chief… nice enough to earn me anything?" She flashed him a cheeky smile as she rested on the edge of the desk.

"Aside from all the free training you're getting because Burke asked?" Gustavo answered. Just as Talia's face was dropping he continued. "Sure, kid." He opened a drawer and tossed her a box of shotgun shells.

"Oh, a new janitor? Take a look at the light in my suite would you, it's flickering." The haughty voice belonged to a resident, who was holding out her room key for Talia while looking at her watch.

Talia raised her eyebrows at Gustavo, who sent her a very subtle look that said he sympathised. He wasn't a fan of the more snooty residents but he had impressed the importance of holding his tongue since the tower employed him and not the other way round. Their rent paid his wages at the end of the day.

Talia cleared her throat and smiled politely. "Sorry, madame, I'm no janitor. I just moved into the _VIP suite _on the north side actually. Name's Talia." She extended her hand in introduction.

"Oh," the woman looked at Talia's grubby hand with uncertainty, but her upbringing that stopped just short of truly upper class decreed that she must accept it. She shook it briefly. "Ah, Mr. Burke's new move..? I see. I must say I'm a little surprised. He usually has such fine taste in residents, I thought it might extend to his… personal life. Well, anyway, good day." With that the woman turned and headed to the cafe.

Talia turned back to Gustavo while puffing out her cheeks in mild gall. Then she frowned. "Wait, did she mean something by that?"

"She thinks you're a neanderthal, like me. These people don't feel the need to be subtle."

"But she was... suggesting something, wasn't she?"

Gustavo raised an eyebrow. How young was this kid? "She thinks Burke's moved you in to warm his bed, kid. She's seen you two around. People like to gossip."

Talia scoffed and rubbed a flushed cheek with her palm. "No shit? Wait, and why'd she say his '_new_ move'? Was there someone before? What happened?"

Gustavo shrugged, laying out the various notebooks required for his duties how they had been before Talia came to set up the phone.

Talia crouched down beside him, speaking conspiratorially. "Chief… I need to know…" Her voice dropped to an urgent whisper. "If I'm going to find myself in several pieces stuffed in Burke's wardrobe one day, tell me now."

Gustavo guffawed, gallows humour tickling him. "No, kid, you're alright. I've known him a long time. He's not _that_ weird."

"Phew, okay," she breathed. "It's just I've heard the _other_ gossip, about him, being ruthless and all..."

"Yeah, he is, but he's not a nutjob. But I guess _you'll _find out when you rig up a phone in his room."

"Ha-ha, very funny" Talia said with an eyeroll, straightening up and stretching. "Speak of the devil," she added with an irrepressible grin.

Burke was descending the stairs to lobby level. "And he doth appear," he finished. "What's going on?"

Gustavo spun in his chair, greeting Burke with a curt "sir". He observed curiously the bright grin on the youngster's face. She was clearly enamoured in some way with his boss's right hand man, but he didn't believe the rumours; he knew Burke didn't use the tower's resident whore, though Gustavo was inclined to believe that was because the man was too private to sate his base desires with a woman who also fucked his tenants and his boss. He could just see it- she blabbed something about Burke to another guy, and a few days later she had a horrible accident.

Plus, 101 was young. Not that Gustavo gave a shit about that kind of thing. She wasn't a child, so it wasn't his business. But Burke just wasn't the kind of guy to obsess over youth. Only losers and geriatrics wanted girls super young. For the girls' naivete, or because the men were borderline paedophiles. No, Burke was all business. Hence why he'd told Gustavo to give her training.

What business she was in for, Gustavo wasn't sure. He watched Burke brush some dust off her jumpsuit, and rub the grubby handprint she'd inadvertently put on her own cheek. Though she stood and let him do it, a bemused smirk on her face, it wasn't so much like watching a man with his lover, or his daughter. He seemed more like an owner, looking over his competition pedigree, simply setting it right when he found it out of form.

"I've been setting up an internal phone system," Talia answered eventually, gesturing to the new phone on the desk. "The ops room is now connected to the cafe, doctor, and my room. I can add you and Mr. Tenpenny if you want. Chief says it would be useful."

Burke rounded the desk and held up the handset to his ear. Talia dialed her room extension so he could hear the ringtone. He replaced the handset with an impressed expression. "So, there is something between those ears besides swear words?"

Gustavo saw her blanche briefly before answering with an awkward laugh. "Am I that bad?"

"You give my guys a run for their money, 101," Gustavo pointed out.

"Shit. Sorry."

"Where did you pick up such a filthy mouth?" Burke probed.

Talia shrugged. "I worked maintenance didn't I… just me and a few older guys. That's one of the main subjects I learned, to be honest."

Gustavo noted with interest how she'd shied away at Burke's comment. Or maybe it was just his dirty mind. He'd been a merc a long time.

"Well it can be expected of the working Joes, but you're a VIP now, Tali." Burke smiled at Talia who returned it somewhat awkwardly, Gustavo thought, but she said nothing.

Burke turned to Gustavo. "What's the situation? Anything new to report?"

Gustavo flipped through the last few pages of one of the log books. "Nothing _new_, sir. Same old ghouls. Phillips was asking at the gate again two days ago. Left without incident. Though he's been getting increasingly threatening. I'd wager he's close to goin' zombie himself. I'd move on them, but we just can't spare the men. It could be a trap, baiting us out and leaving the tower with gaps in its defence."

"This is the ghouls everyone is worried about?" Talia asked.

Gustavo nodded curtly.

Burke ran a hand over his jaw before replying. "I'll talk to Tenpenny, see if we can't get some caps freed up in case we need to hire outside guns. I was hoping Phillips would see sense and make himself scarce."

"Appreciated, sir. I'd be grateful if Mr. Tenpenny was _fully _aware of the situation on the ground. It's all people are talking about. Could be about to get ugly."

"I'll get back to you. The infrastructure all good?"

"Yes sir. Been checking the outer walls daily for good measure. Unless they've got ten times the bodies we think, they're not gettin' in. Though I still recommend booby trapping the tunnel, especially now. You know I don't like it."

Burke drummed his fingers on the desk a few times. "Do it. Raid storage C if you need anything more imaginative."

"Thank you sir," Gustavo sang happily. He opened his inventory book to begin scouring for appropriate weapons.

Burke turned to Talia. "Tali, set up Tenpenny's phone today. Then bring yourself and your most varied skill set to my room later tonight."

"Yes sir," Talia nodded.

He put on his hat and left the pair of them, heading outside. Gustavo smirked into his book.

"_What?_" Talia chided.

"You're seriously not hearing that?"

"Whatever," she huffed, fiddling with her sleeve. "Hey, this ghoul thing sounds pretty serious. People seem desperate- they're asking me to go deal with them, you know."

"Really?"

She snorted. "I know, right?"

But Gustavo was stroking his chin. "No, that's an idea. You're a decent shot now. If you could get any backup, it might be a plan to sneak up on them through the tower's escape tunnels and take 'em by surprise…"

"You're kidding me?"

"Look, they live in the metro tunnels with a pack of ferals, so it's no walk in the park. But if you want to help clear this thing up sooner rather than later, it might just work. It's worth a lot of caps to me, and I'll give you what help I can to make sure it's not a suicide mission. They all go zombie sooner or later. I want them dead a.s.a.p. It's better for everybody that way."

Talia thought it over in front of Gustavo, obviously giving it serious consideration. Whatever Burke had planned for her, she was a girl who wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty, unlike most of the other residents he was paid to protect but who viewed him as some sort of glorified servant. He liked her.

"I'll think about it. Okay, I gotta go do these phones." She gathered her materials and left.

"Don't let Burke give you any more innuendo, 101."

But the girl shot him a slightly confused frown over her shoulder. Either they were both oblivious or he really had spent too long with his mind in the gutter.

* * *

Talia headed straight for Margaret in Cafe Beau Monde. She took Allistair Tenpenny his lunch every day, so Talia figured she could tag along with the phone since she still had not been formally introduced. He seemed to spend all of his time in his suite or on the balcony, usually shooting at anything with at least four legs or two heads. Tailgating his lunch seemed preferable to cold calling the illusive eighty year old with ammo to burn.

But Talia's mind was still turning over Gustavo's offer. In fact, after she had bought her shotgun, new clothes, and some furniture for her suite from the tower's homeware store, _Boutique Le Chic_, she was already running low on caps. She'd laughed at how quickly it had disappeared given how Burke had allowed her to think she'd negotiated herself a big haul. _Newsflash Tali, he is a sly motherfucker_. She would be registering a complaint… as soon as she figured out how someone _complains_ to a man like Burke and keeps all their fingers.

Margaret led the way to Tenpenny's balcony, carrying his lunch tray. "Same thing every day," she sighed to Talia. "Iguana bit sandwich, no salt, a peeled pear on the side. No imagination," she added in a whisper.

"Your kitchen creativity isn't lost on me, Margie. Do you know how good it is not to eat the same old powdered whatever every meal?" Talia kissed her fingertips in appreciation, earning a smile from the old lady.

Talia opened the door and allowed Margaret through. Tenpenny was stood by the balustrade surveying the wasteland through a pair of binoculars.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Tenpenny. Beautiful day, isn't it? I have your favourite lunch here, and a visitor: Miss Talia." Margaret introduced the pair while setting down the tray on a small table.

Tenpenny turned to the pair, moving in apparent surprise. "Ah, a visitor! I seldom get visitors nowadays. Which is a shame because I'm often relentlessly _bored_ out of my right mind, hahaha."

Talia took the initiative and offered her hand. "Hello Mr. Tenpenny. I moved in upstairs a few weeks ago. You may remember the nuke."

Tenpenny assessed her a few moments before grasping her hand with both of his. "Ah! Yes, the Megaton girl. How do you do. Grand show that was, eh? I was just looking at it. Can't see a damned thing! How's that!"

Talia bowed her head slightly, stealing a glance in the direction of the former town. Not a cloud in sight.

Margaret excused herself, leaving the pair alone.

"I actually came to install a phone. Mr. Burke sent me to set one up for you- then you can call anyone inside the tower."

Tenpenny waved her around while he sat down to his lunch. "Sounds marvellous. Mr. Burke. Absolute gem of a man! I had the great fortune to run into him a long time ago. He has a way of getting done what needs to get done, doesn't he?"

"Yes, I think he does," Talia replied diplomatically. But her interest was piqued. "So, you asked him to… do something about Megaton?"

Tenpenny waved his fork. "Oh, I complained offhand one day about how that heap of metal was a bit of an eyesore. He offered to take care of it."

Talia blinked. She watched the merry old man tuck into his sandwich, wondering whether he was just too drunk to elaborate or he really was that flippant about everything.

"You… complained?"

"What?" Tenpenny yelled in the manner of a deaf pensioner.

"You just complained about the view, and so Burke blew it up for you?" she repeated at a higher volume.

He brightened up a little having heard her question. "Yes! He's such an agreeable man, isn't he? I don't know how I got along without him. I practically don't have to think about things anymore. Even this phone. I'm sure I suggested it the other... day, or… week. I forget. Well, I must have mentioned it. He really does take care of everything."

Talia fiddled around with the phone on the side table in the hope of prolonging the conversation without appearing to be lingering. "Well, sir, I've been wondering… why destroy it so completely? Wipe out all those people?"

Tenpenny finished chewing a forkful of iguana sandwich, presumably because false teeth made it hard to eat a sandwich like a regular person, and replied with a scrunched up face. "Oh, do you mind? I'm rather sore about all that but I _am _trying to eat my lunch." He made a shooing motion with his fork.

"Sorry sir." Talia backed away. "So do you mind if I run these into your suite? You'll be able to call Mr. Burke, Margaret, Doc Banfield, and the Chief's desk right from here." She left out her own room.

"Yes, go do that. You're starting to bore me anyway."

Talia bit her tongue and left briskly.

He wasn't delightful company, but equally he seemed like any other odious old man a few sandwiches short of a picnic. She wasn't sure if he had explicitly ordered the Megaton job or not. He gave little detail, but also seemed so bored by Talia's presence that perhaps he just couldn't be bothered to furnish her with full answers to her questions. It was lunchtime after all.

She paused at the door to his room. In and out, thirty seconds max. The tower was in remarkable condition, so it should just be a matter of plugging in the cables once she'd found the outlet. But she was willing to bet the room stank with that old person smell, considering how the man never left the building. She took a breath and darted in to do the job.

When she emerged, she swiftly and calmly closed the door behind her before gasping for breath as soon as it was safely latched. She tidied the extra long cables she'd rigged for this particular phone, so Tenpenny could use it from his balcony, garden or suite, and shot back to her suite to wash up for lunch. If she ate quickly she had a whole afternoon of training before Burke was expecting her.

* * *

"_Gustavo_!"

Oh boy. Gustavo looked toward the rich voice bellowing his name as his stomach fell through the floor. Burke was striding toward him with a very intense look in his eye. That was never a good sign.

He came all the way to the desk and leaned in so as to make his request quietly and politely. _Burke, quiet _and _polite_ in the same sentence usually meant, paradoxically: _trouble. _Specifically, someone was about to find out they were in it.

"Do tell me why the residents in the bar are discussing whether to go scurrying through our escape tunnels with Talia to see off a pack of ghouls?"

"They're what?" Gustavo chirped through a weak facade of surprise.

"Owen… she likes you. I know you know. What's going on?"

Gustavo swore and shrugged off his pretense with a sigh. "I _may_ have talked to her some more about the ghoul situation. She was here the other day when we discussed the booby traps anyway. Well, you know how proactive she is, she must think she's in with a chance at sorting this out herself. She hasn't come to me about it yet, anyway. And she doesn't seem stupid enough to go down there without talking to me first."

Gustavo didn't flinch while Burke stared him down. After a good ten seconds Burke backed off a little. "Yes, she is keen. But I can't have our residents running off and getting themselves killed. God knows how she's got any of them even thinking about it. They're usually such prissy types who prefer to employ people of _your _ilk to deal with this kind of thing."

Gustavo returned the wry look Burke sent him, breathing a subtle sigh of relief at remaining off the hook. "Well, she gets on very well with anyone whose nose isn't too far up their own ass."

Burke snorted. "Yes… as long as she isn't rubbing the others up the wrong way as well. However much they may make you want to slam their head through a wall, they're made of caps."

"Yeah, I've schooled her on the fine art of restraint, don't worry."

Burke groaned. "Christ, whatever she's doing, I can't have it. She'll put us out of business in a month. Where is she?"

Gustavo shrugged.

"Call her suite for me."

Gustavo picked up the phone on his desk and dialled Talia's extension. After only one ring she answered.

Before Gustavo could say anything, Burke had noted the voice on the other end of the line and marched toward the elevator.

"Hey kid, it's Chief Gustavo. Looks like you're about to get a visitor." He smirked at the voice coming through the handset. "Well, best do something about that. You got about one minute."

* * *

Burke rapped on Talia's door. She was certainly enlivening Tenpenny Tower. The problem was there weren't enough residents left to allow them to play along with this particular game. He knocked again, more urgently. "It's Burke. Open up."

Presently the door opened, but greeting him was her domestic robot Godfrey.

"Good evening, sir! Come in. How may I be of service this evening?"

Burke crossed the threshold, peering around for any sign of his protege. "Get Talia for me. I know it wasn't you on the phone just now."

"Certainly, sir." Godfrey hovered away. "Of course you weren't here to call on me. Obvious now, really," he added, just out of Burke's earshot.

"_I know Godfrey!"_

Burke heard Talia's flustered voice from the other room. He settled himself down on her couch.

Godfrey hovered back into the main room, muttering under his breath, and parked himself in his corner. "I can see I'm not needed, sir. Please excuse me while I power myself down for internal maintenance." Burke was almost sure he heard a _sigh._

After a few moments Talia appeared in the far corner. She was wearing nothing but a monogrammed _Tenpenny Tower_ towel, wrapped tightly just under her arms. The white cotton seemed to deepen her warmly tanned skin. Her dark hair glistened with moisture, ends just tickling her shoulders, water droplets still rolling across her collarbone. Her cheeks were rosy, flushed from her hot bathwater, or perhaps the recent agitation his phone call had caused.

Burke remained poker faced as she squealed in surprise at finding him on her couch.

"Burke what the hell!" She hurried past him, face reddening even more. "Don't you knock?"

"I did," Burke offered candidly over his shoulder. "Your robot let me in."

"He did? Wow, well I'm gonna have to write that out of his programming somehow. I was in the bath."

"I noticed. I hope I didn't cut it short."

Talia hummed while presumably getting dressed behind him. A sound made Burke take a sidelong glance over his other shoulder to find the towel in a heap on the bed.

He straightened up very deliberately and cleared his throat. "I need to discuss something with you."

Talia laughed a little. "What could be this urgent?"

She came back into view and sat in a chair to the side of him. She was covered in an exquisite, midnight blue, silk bathrobe that came to her knees. Though being silk, it only really covered her in one sense. Not that she had the choice of anything more ordinary in the tower's clothing store- but that was a fact Burke did not particularly resent at the moment.

"I've just come from downstairs. Some of the residents seem to think they are going to form a posse... with you... in order to speak to, or fight off, the ghouls. Do you know anything about this?"

Talia folded her arms. "Well, maybe. They're about ready to break into the tower right?"

He ignored that she hadn't really answered and continued as if she had told him what he already knew. "The tower has defences. What exactly possessed you to take on this burden, my dear girl?"

Talia crossed her legs. Then uncrossed them and pulled down her robe. "Well I'd quite like to live without the threat of a siege hanging over us. And… well… there's some money to be made."

"Oh?" Burke sat forward in his seat. This was news.

"Yeah… Gustavo has some pay for any help, since he can't spare anyone to deal with it."

Gustavo didn't mention that. Interesting. He'd bank that one for a later date. "You're in need of caps? My dear girl, you need only say so. There are… wiser alternatives. Alternatives that don't involve wiping out half my rent book."

"Huh?" Talia frowned.

Burke leant back and crossed his ankle over his thigh. "This is a business, Talia. The people here are _paying _tenants, not soldiers."

"...Ooh, I see," she replied after a pause, realisation washing the obstinacy from her features.

She would have to learn to think ahead further than one move.

She cocked her head to one side and gave Burke a sheepish smile. "Thing is... I've spent almost all of what you paid me. But I can't work out if that's because a thousand caps is not that much, or... or have I just overdone it?" She fluttered her eyelashes just a bit too much for it to be a totally innocent question.

Burke returned her smile with a brusque shrug. "A thousand is what you asked for."

Her shoulders sagged as she dropped the act. "Come on, tell me if that was a joke to you or what?"

Burke smirked a little. "Hm... I'll admit your attempt at bargaining was... endearing. But I admired you had the guts to even ask, and I could afford to reward you. It was a fair payment. Not meant to set you up for life by any means though. I hope I didn't give you that impression."

She looked at him a while as though studying his truthfulness. A completely vain exercise, but he enjoyed her optimism.

He continued. "And is that it? A need for money and you're ready to take on numerous feral ghouls with just a few pampered toffs at your back? After you've just recovered from a rather painful encounter with a single security guard?"

_Bullseye._ She squirmed at that. "Geez, when you put it like that…"

"Indeed."

She sighed and folded her arms. "Look, I just… I can fix a few things for pocket money. But that's all I did in the Vault. And these people don't seem to hold that work very highly either. You know the other day someone actually _dragged _me into their suite because their toilet was blocked?"

He shouldn't laugh. "Ahem… and what did you do?"

"I actually gave them a tip on clearing it because I'm a fucking angel. But I said I'd have to go get some tools, gave the name Lucy and disappeared. Gustavo's been getting complaints about some janitor called Lucy ever since." Talia laughed through her ire, eyes twinkling with mischief.

God, when he could have her work with him on something much more devious… He raised a knuckle to his lips, resting his chin on his thumb.

She carried on. "When I'm not mistaken for the help, people think I'm here because… well, I'm not gonna repeat what they think. But point is I seem to have been tagged for the job anyway. May as well get some glory for it."

Burke smiled under his fingers. She was hungry. "Megaton glory not enough?"

"Mmm… everyone thinks that was all Tenpenny to be honest."

If she was bothered by the Megaton job, she wasn't showing it. He'd caught no wind of her having an attack of conscience since accepting all the rewards of the task. She just seemed to want to be useful, which suited Burke splendidly.

"Which is weird," she continued, "because he doesn't seem to know a lot about it."

"What do you mean?" Burke asked tersely, suddenly tense.

"I... asked him the other day what it was all about, is all. He seemed a bit clueless to be honest... What? What did I do?"

Burke stood and paced across the room to dispel his annoyance. "Don't talk to Tenpenny about business," he ordered with much restraint. "Tower business goes through me, alright?"

Talia was looking at him worriedly. When he said nothing more she nodded. "Oh, alright. I won't."

She really was a breath of fresh air. He sensed her assent came more from a place of true respect rather than fear, like most others. But sometimes he felt it was simply because he asked.

"It keeps things simpler for him that way," he added more casually. "In fact, best not to talk to him about anything unless you've gotten dressed first."

"Huh?"

He motioned to her silk robe. "He's eighty, Tali. If he ever sees you in that he might have a heart attack."

Talia blushed and clutched the front edges of the garment, but retorted quickly. "Well if he doesn't barge in unannounced when I'm taking a bath, he'll be alright."

Burke was enjoying toying with her too much. He reminded himself he came here for a reason. "Anyway, you're not to take any residents to meet those ghouls. Understood?"

"Yes sir. But what if the ghouls come here to meet us?" She wasn't going to give this up. "I don't believe you want to lure them here and turn the tower into a death trap. After all the work you do making it such a _vogue_ place to live. Imagine the complaints!"

She smiled that mischievous smile again, daring him to say actually, yes, he'd love Gustavo's men to shoot up the lobby and collapse a few walls with the explosive traps going off under the perimeter.

He sat back down on the couch, taking the seat closest to Talia. "Excellent point. I hesitate to send a platoon of mercs down there. Damned expensive but necessary as we've no idea exactly how many ferals are down there. Or whether Phillips has any kind of control over them."

"Think he can be reasoned with?"

"Perhaps. Still, have to get through the ferals."

"Well a tunnel is narrow and dark, right?"

"Yes," Burke replied with concern.

"Then it's easy to sneak through. Anything that's in there, you know exactly which way to expect it from. I bet you could sneak right through without needing extra guns."

"Who?"

"I dunno… us?"

"Have you lost your mind?"

"I'm serious! I grew up in tunnels Burke. Honestly, it's easy to sneak around. Used to do it all the time in the Vault."

"And have you had the fortune to meet a feral ghoul?"

"No, but… it looks like we're going to, one way or the other. I'd rather not meet them in the tower."

Burke hummed in agreement, grazing a hand over his stubble in thought.

Talia got up and passed in front of him, retrieving the towel from the bed and dabbing at her hair. "I'm sure you know the best thing to do… I just want to do _something _about it, y'know?"

He almost laughed, so blasé was she about potentially running headlong into a very gory death in pursuit of a little sense of purpose. He mulled it over while she pottered around, drying her hair and toying aimlessly with things in her room. Obviously she needed to work. She liked to keep busy. She wasn't going to be content waiting up in her apartment, hoping someone else would make everything better. Though right now, looking as she did, he nearly regretted that her glowing olive skin would almost certainly be marred again in the battle that would likely occur.

But how was he to begin his work with her without first assessing her abilities on something real? Why _not _the ghoul situation? He'd been monitoring things for as long as it had been going on, and there seemed nothing more to it than what Phillips was demanding. They were as ready as they could be, and still had a slim chance of ending things diplomatically since no shots had actually been fired yet.

Eventually he broke the silence. "I think I can figure something out. Meantime, get yourself prepared. Make sure your gear doesn't squeak or rattle."

Her face lit up with excitement. "Ooh, really? Is it gonna be an adventure?"

"Your optimism amazes me. I'm serious Tali, make sure you're ready."

"I know, you're always serious. Of course I'll be ready."

That sincere deference again. It had come with barely any effort on his part. He would not tire of it as he leveraged it over the coming weeks. He was already anticipating seeing first hand how his promising associate would fare in a potentially hostile situation. He was hopeful. She'd already survived what would have killed or caused most to surrender, and seemed eager to prove herself further. Then he could really get to work. She had natural charm that would make her very effective, if she could control her belligerence.

Speaking of which, there was always time for an exercise, however small. "Good." He stood. "Well, I'll be going. It must be past your bedtime."

He'd expected that to rile her, but instead she seemed to shrink a little, her usual boisterous aura dimming a fraction. "Sure," she muttered, moving to get the door.

He joined her across the room. "I was joking, Tali."

"Oh?" She directed big searching eyes at him. Apparently she was completely blindsided by the idea.

"It is possible, you know."

Her face brightened in the way with which Burke had become familiar. "Oh! I totally missed that. Sorry. Wow, that must've been awkward for you." She sniggered as she turned the situation around on him.

He did admire her quick wit. He'd have to consider how else it might be employed in the near future. He made a face to show he wasn't affected in the slightest. "Not at all. Goodnight."

He reached for the door knob, but instead of cool metal he found his hand wrapped around the gentle warmth of her own.

He looked at their hands, then at her. Though softly, she actually gasped. But she didn't pull away. She just stared at him, lips still slightly parted, waiting for him to make the call just as she had earlier.

He peeled her fingers from the brass and presented them back to her. "I can let myself out." He released her hand, pulling his eyes from hers only as he stepped through the open door, closing it behind him.

Outside, he drew a hand down the side of his face and sighed. _Damn it. _It would be so easy to simply seduce her. It was childsplay to control an adoring lover. They became whatever he wanted in no time. But for how long? A woman in love gets soft, and he was moulding an agent, not a paramour. He didn't need a damsel in distress. Better to remain out of reach. Because when they get the attention they yearn for, they all want rescuing in the end.


	8. Painkiller

Talia clung to Burke as he helped her make the final steps back to the tower. He slipped his arm from her waist to cover the tunnels behind them, calling to their lookout to open the containment door while she braced herself against the wall.

She released the rag she had clamped to her neck, noting it was even more soaked with blood than it had been earlier. Or maybe she could actually see the blood now. Either way, she felt woozy and let herself down onto the floor with a thud, pressing the rag back on her neck firmly.

"It bit me didn't it? Oh my God, I'm gonna turn into one of them aren't I?"

"I don't think that's how it works," Burke answered as he watched for any sign they were followed. Once the door began to open he heaved her up from the floor and slipped through. "Come on. The doctor's just upstairs."

She focussed on putting one foot in front of the other as Burke practically carried her up the stairs from the tunnel access room. The air grew brighter, drier and warmer with each step. Bursting out into the lobby, Burke shouted for the doctor while Talia stammered on and on about her grisly impending fate.

"Burke… promise me… don't let me turn into one of them… if I start going green or… my voice starts to go all croaky… shoot me in the head."

"You don't need to worry about that," he assured her as he urged her along the marble tiles toward the doctor's clinic.

"I'm serious!" she cried, grasping his shirt as he and Doc Banfield guided her onto an examination table. "I don't know how long I have before I turn… you'll have to kill me... to save the tower… I want you to be the one to do it."

"Alright," he agreed, mirroring her solemnity, "but let the doctor take a look at you first. Might not be all that bad."

"Thank you," she croaked, allowing him to prize her fingers from his shirt. "How long have I got, Doc?" She stared at the ceiling, trying to make peace with herself for landing in this situation before having found her dad. She couldn't remember the last thing she said to him before he disappeared, but she knew it was snarky. As usual he'd just sighed and let her slam the door in his face.

Doc Banfield peeled the bloody rag from her neck and covered the area with something that stung.

"_Motherfucker_ what is that?!" she yelped, forgetting all about her new resolution to swear less in front of Burke.

"Just something to clean the wound. Sorry miss. Yep, looks like a bite to me."

"I knew it! I'm done for." She rested the back of her palm on her forehead and acquired a thousand yard stare.

"No, no, it's relatively minor. Just a lot of blood."

Burke came around the other side of the bed. "And there's no risk of her catching ghoul from that? Turning into one of them?"

If she hadn't been so overwhelmed at possessing the foreknowledge of how she was going to go out, she'd have noticed the mirth in his voice.

"Oh my, no. That's not how it works. Although I would relish the opportunity to study one for real."

"You hear that Tali?" Burke patted her on the cheek, cutting short her attempt to figure out if she was seeing her life flash before her eyes or not. "Doc says you're not going to turn ghoul."

"I'm not?" She blinked several times as if just regaining sight. "...Oh, thank God." The sights and sounds in the clinic started to become more clear as the feeling of mortal peril evaporated.

Doc Banfield continued. "I'll have to run some blood tests though. Could have contracted plenty of other nasties. But first, get this gear off so I can properly tend the wound. It's going to need stitches."

Burke unslung Talia's shotgun, unloaded it and laid it by the wall. Then he unfastened her ammo belt and jacket, assisting her out of both faster than she had even located the zipper.

She probably could have done that herself, she thought, but she liked the way his hands felt. Always so sure of their purpose. Like how he'd checked her gear before they set out, making adjustments while she wore it to ensure everything was tight and sitting where it should, practically shaking her like a toy and adjusting some more when there was still something rattling. It was comical, but also assured her he knew exactly what he was doing. He wasn't going to let her make a stupid mistake.

"This might sting." The doc injected something to numb the area and continued working.

Burke undid a button of his shirt, ran a thumb under his shoulder holster and pulled a chair beside Talia. "So, why did you want me to be the one to shoot you?"

Talia let out a rattly breath. "You wouldn't miss."

Burke retrieved his water canteen and took several thirsty glugs. "It'd cost you."

Talia laughed a little and stretched out her hand in request of a drink.

"Try not to move, I need to syringe the area to cleanse it fully," the doc interrupted.

Talia's face contorted in distaste. "Don't tell me what you're doing Doc! I don't wanna know!" She accepted Burke's canteen and tried to guzzle the whole lot without moving.

Burke looked on in amusement. "You're squeamish about what the good doctor is doing, but not about blowing the head off a ghoul from three feet away?"

Talia raised her eyebrows in lieu of being able to shrug freely. "Just like how you're happy to go toddling about in the wastes but are afraid of the tunnels?"

He took the water back from her and finished it, eyeing the doctor. "You are mistaken."

"Come on, you _really_ wanted to go the long ass way, overland. Was there a good reason or are you just afraid of the dark?" she teased meekly.

"Ask any more questions like that and there's only one way you'll be leaving this clinic."

"There _is _only one way. As a hero. For solving the ghoul problem, for saving you, and making it so people will talk about something else now."

Burke smiled. Properly. It was rare he ever seemed truly relaxed but Talia was noticing it more. Clearly he was still on a buzz from their excursion. It hadn't gone to plan. Burke had sent one merc he trusted to scope the tunnels for signs of traps or ambush. He had done his part and then some, getting caught in a firefight unexpectedly with half of Phillips' people. After that, Burke's hopes of establishing a parlay with the survivors had long gone out the window. So they had to assault.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed Tali," he said, leaning forward. "You really kept your head back there."

Talia beamed. "Thanks."

"And I didn't get a chance to ask… I had no idea you were trained at all in any martial art. Where did _that _come from?"

Talia tapped her nose. "There are some interesting people in this tower, if you get to know them."

"I do get to know them, or they don't get in. Who is it?"

"Obviously not well enough," Talia replied smugly. "Jim Levine, from the east wing. He's been teaching me something called 'krav maga'."

"Ah, Levine. He kept that quiet."

"Don't mention it. He likes to be inconspicuous around here. He won't even tell me where he learned. It's cool though. It's all about efficiency and aggression."

"Well keep it up. You've got plenty of that." Burke looked at her knowingly.

"Hell yeah. Even after like a week I knew enough to deal with that shitshow back there. Well. 'Til I got bit."

"The ghoul was too fast, but you knew where she was hiding. You've a good sixth sense."

Talia cocked her head. "I sprung pranks on people in the Vault a lot. I just knew where I'd hide if that was _my _metro base being raided by a coupla gangsters." She grinned and offered Burke a fist bump.

He declined with a raised eyebrow.

"Geez, my hands are disgusting. I'm never getting in a brawl with a ghoul again. Ugh, will I get a sponge bath or whatever Doc?"

"Um, that won't be necessary," the doctor replied.

"Don't tell me what you're doing, but... are you done yet?"

He didn't answer immediately and Talia could tell he was tying off the stitches. She tried to think about something else. "My hands are shaking."

"That's the adrenaline," Burke told her. "It'll wear off soon." He sat back and took a deep breath. Talia did the same.

"All done," the doctor finally answered. "Just let me put on a dressing."

Talia sighed in relief. "So, uh, it's gonna hurt when that numbness wears off right? You got any good drugs in this place?"

Doc Banfield ummed and aahed.

"Come ooon Doc. The good stuff. For me." Talia smiled, but at Burke since her head was turned away to allow the good doctor to work.

Burke raised his eyebrows. "If you've got the supplies Doc, knock her out. I think a few glasses of whisky will do me."

She grinned and watched him light a cigarette.

"Whatever you say," came the doctor's voice, along with a prick which was gone before she could react. Then whatever he gave her hit her like a truck. A truck full of _absolute bliss._

Burke leaned forward again. "I've got more work for you Tali. It'll pay and be a damn sight more weighted in your favour than today."

Talia giggled. "Sounds good."

"Thanks Julius," Burke raised his hand briefly in farewell as the doctor left.

"You sound good," Talia chuckled.

Burke took a really cool looking drag on his smoke. "Feeling good?"

"I feel fucking _great,_" Talia whispered. She really did.

"Hm. I feel like I've been hit by a truck. That's the last time I let you talk me into anything. I'm getting too old for this kind of thing. It'd be worth paying a company of mercs. I could find the money somehow."

"How old _are _you?" Talia asked in wonder.

"Forty eight," he answered through a cloud of smoke.

"You look good," Talia breathed.

He laughed through his cigarette. "Thanks."

"You do. You look good. This. This shirt," she flopped her arm in the general direction of the heavy dark shirt he wore, "looks good." She giggled.

Extensively.

"Can I have some of that?" Her wavering hand wafted in the general direction of his cigarette.

"I don't think you need this with what you're on," he chuckled.

"Awww." Talia tried to make a sad face but the _pure bliss_ meant she just couldn't not smile. There was everything to smile about.

Burke stood. "I'll talk to you more when you're not so high. You can start training when you're cleared for that bite." He wagged his eyebrows as he left. "Sweet dreams."

"What d'you m...?" Talia followed him with her eyes halfway round the bed before a peaceful, heavenly darkness enveloped her.

* * *

_The darkness of Talia's slumber eventually unfurled into the Vault. Her first love was there. Only he wasn't. He never had been. He was telling her again it was over, with no more than a shrug. Talia gave him a piece of her mind this time around, but the others surrounded her anyway, laughing, insulting. They came to her and asked her about things, things only he knew. She thought she was in love, but that didn't save her from the shame._

_Dad was there. But still he didn't warn her. To beware of boys and their intentions. She told him now what he should have said, but he didn't hear. Too busy. He disappeared, so too the Vault. _

_Ghouls were everywhere now. She was dispatching them again. Her faceless ally fought with her, but then he was gone, and she faced them alone. Until the scene evaporated, morphing into a stone room, curtains, the soft hum of machines..._

Talia woke. The drugs meant she still felt mellow, and though her face betrayed nothing but a placid tranquility, she wondered why she dreamt of that piece of shit. At least, she knew that's what she'd ask if she was sober. Right now she just... noticed.

She noticed Burke wasn't around. He had been saying something. She couldn't remember what. She wished he was there again. She knew she was smiling when he was around.

Why couldn't she dream of him? But dreams never worked that way. Then it struck her. It was a sign. _Definitely_ a sign. That's why she felt so tingly. She only admitted it very quietly inside herself, but she liked him. She knew it when he caught her hand on the door and she froze, rather than laugh like a normal person. And now this dream came, at this moment. To warn her of repeating the same mistakes.

Not that he seemed to have the same intentions. She wasn't sure what he thought. Surely to him she was just a kid, but he didn't treat her that way. And sure… she'd destroyed a whole town for him. But he hadn't dropped her afterward. She smiled.

But she shouldn't rush. That's why everything felt so languid right now. It was a sign. It was a nice feeling, to crush on someone, after writing off the whole Vault. But she shouldn't rush. Everything right now was so _serene._ Serene was nice. She would heed the dream. She wouldn't fall for the same tricks. She wouldn't rush into things. If there was anything to rush into. Rushing did no one any good. If everyone was as mellow as her, the world would be a beautiful place.

"Ah you're awake. How are you feeling?" Doc Banfield asked from across the room.

"Oh, Doc, hello. I feel wonderful, thank you. How are you?" She spoke slowly, gazing gently at the doctor awaiting his reply. But before hearing his answer her eyes widened and she raised her hand in sloth-like excitement. "Hey, I've got a great idea. You should give everyone in the tower what you gave me. Then we'd all feel this nice. Wouldn't that be great?"


	9. The Professional

"_Get up." _

_Burke's voice bored through the air, inexorably finding a way to the part of Talia's brain that would recognise it. She followed it through the haze back to reality._

"_There's no use crying. I'm just stating the facts. They can't be changed. What you do from this point, however, can. Now get a hold of yourself, and get up."_

_Talia pulled herself to her feet, wiping bitter tears from her face. Burke circled her like a wolf assessing the strength of a wounded doe._

"_There's no point wallowing in self pity. Stand up, and get a grip. It's not about suppressing what you're feeling, but harnessing it. _Redirecting _it. Get control of yourself now and use it later."_

_Talia wrestled with herself, strangling the sobs in her throat. Her face burned with shame at showing such weakness in front of Burke. He made her stand tall, forced her to stop hiding behind her arms. It seemed to allow her to find more strength to wrangle her emotions._

_He continued. "When you're in complete control of yourself you will always have the upper hand."_

"_I'm sorry sir," Talia forced out as evenly as she could. She'd fucked up his first job for her, then failed again by being a cry baby about it. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd cried properly. Why now?_

"_I don't want apologies," he retorted coldly. "I want an effective agent. Not some mewling baby who needs their hand held through everything. Now... Get. A. Grip."_

_Talia teetered on the line between wanting to bawl some more and the urge to throw a fist at the mouth that called her a mewling baby. She was only upset because she gave a shit what he thought. But she kept her balance and tried to do as he said. She allowed the anger to smother the self pity. Then she focussed on deep breaths until both were in check and the tears stopped._

"_Good," his icy tone melted away almost instantly. "That's it," he soothed. He stopped in front of her and cupped her cheek with a warm palm. "Well done."_

_A warmth spread through Talia's body, the tension in her stomach loosening, and she forgot what had caused her such upset, feeling instead only pride at earning Burke's praise. _

"_Doesn't that feel better?" he asked._

_Talia nodded, answering hoarsely. "Yes sir."_

"_That is what will allow you to finish the job, whatever happens. It will allow you to see clearly when others cannot. It will probably save your life at some point, when I'm not around."_

"_Thank you sir," she extended in advance._

_Burke's eyes flashed with gratification and he smiled. "Now, save those feelings and use them later._ Constructively_."_

_Talia nodded, savouring the last of his warmth as he drew his hand away. She wiped the blood from her lip and looked down at the body of the one who drew it. He was supposed to have been her first solo hit after several weeks training in Burke's relatively unsurprising side hustle. Burke had come with her but the plan and execution had been hers to complete alone. But she'd botched it while getting close and took a fist to the face. When she came to, her head was throbbing and she thought the mark had scarpered, and she wasn't sure which made her feel worse._

_But then she saw Burke standing over the body, pistol in hand. Despite her hazy vision the look on his face was clear, and it crushed her. She didn't know how long she sobbed before she heard his words through the ringing in her head. _

"_...Get up…"_

* * *

Talia watched the colours dance on her eyelids as music washed over her. She lay face up on her bed, limbs splayed either side of her in relaxation, head hanging over the top of the couch that backed onto the bottom of her bed. A heater wheezed out warm air to combat the slight early October chill, making her room toasty enough for an oversized shirt and extra long over-knee socks.

Fairly certain she heard a knock at the door amongst the music drifting from her jukebox, she called out without moving. "It's open." It could only be one person at this time of night.

She opened her eyes slightly to confirm Burke had entered. He wasn't around so much lately, but they always caught up, trained, or worked when he was. He closed the door and shrugged off a light overcoat. Even upside down, his dark suit and red tie looked the business. He must've been busy.

"Do you mind if I don't get up? I think I've achieved zen. Or the blood in my head is pooling. Either way I don't wanna move." Talia spoke quietly, trying not to disrupt the bubble of peace she had established.

"Don't let me disturb you," he answered.

Talia closed her eyes again and listened to the sounds as he moved around. More ruffling of clothing. It must be really warm in here. _Flop._ Yep, that was a suit jacket landing on the couch. A _clink_ informed her he had found her drinking glasses. She felt him take a seat on the couch and heard the _chink_ of his lighter. She let the smoke reach her nose before she spoke.

"The good scotch is on the far shelf," she began, before the _glug_ of a glass being filled caused her to peek. "Oh, you found it."

"You having one?" he asked before filling a second glass.

"Sure." She closed her eyes again and focussed on the sound of the pouring liquid, the rising pitch telling her when was enough. Burke always poured more than she would. "You do appreciate me keeping you in good whisky and smokes, I hope?" she murmured.

"Of course. Saves me a lot of caps not going through a middle man. Though poor Blythe thinks I've gone teetotal."

Talia smiled. "You mean I should be charging you?"

Burke decided to end the conversation there and smoked a while. She could sense by the depth and languor of his breaths he'd been dying for it.

Eventually Talia rolled her head to the side to look at him. "Long day?"

"Long week," he grumbled. He cast his eyes over her body. "You, however, look extremely relaxed. What are you on and do you have any left?"

Talia just chuckled. "I've just been... reflecting."

He looked on her curiously while taking another drag. "Well I've been collecting." He took something from his jacket pocket and handed it to her. "Payment for your first two _successful _jobs."

Talia stretched her arms over the couch to hold the bag in front of her face, turning it in her hands. "There can't be much more than a hundred caps in here," she commented, careful not to sound too offended.

"That's the rate, minus my commission."

"I see," she confirmed flatly. She supposed life must be cheap out here. She just imagined hired killers made, well, a killing. "Commission?"

"Until you're a completely solo operator my dear girl, yes."

"Hm." She didn't complain. She liked having him work with her for now. Maybe that was the only way she could work. She placed the bag by her side and rolled over, propping her head up on one hand. "Am I a psycho Burke?"

Burke picked up his drink and leant back into the armrest so he was facing her. "Huh. Do you think you are?"

Talia scrunched her face in consideration. "I don't think so."

"But?"

"…"

"You asked me. Spit it out."

She flexed at the knees, fluttering her feet in the air while she chose her words. "People act like it's some _hard_ thing to kill someone. And I've just never got that? Like, in the Vault… Amata had to shoot a guy, I mean she _had_ to, but she was still real cut up about it. And I… I killed three guys to get out of there, and I didn't really care?"

Burke swigged his drink. "Did you enjoy it?"

She scrunched her nose again. "No. I felt… I really went in on the Overseer, but I wouldn't say 'enjoy'. That was... revenge. Payback. Survival, all of it." She stretched over the couch and grabbed her drink from the coffee table, sipping in thought.

Burke continued. "And the contracts? They're neither."

Talia rested the glass on the couch back and again leant on her hand. "Yeah. I thought that might be different… like it's not self defence anymore… but it… it doesn't bother me." She gave him a questioning look. As if he were a doctor. She _should_ be talking to a doctor. Asking Burke if she seemed a bit off was like asking an alcoholic if she drank too much; to Burke she probably seemed like a kitten trying to play tiger.

Burke rubbed his jaw in consideration. "That's basically a prerequisite for this line of work Tali. You're certainly no twisted serial killer, if that's what was worrying you."

Talia hummed through her glass.

"There's more on your mind." A statement, not a question. Could she ever learn to read people as well as he did?

"Oh, I shouldn't. It's nothing."

"Tali," he said in a tone meant to remind her she couldn't keep anything from him.

She looked into her glass. "I…" She took a big swig. "I don't know if I'm who you're looking for. It doesn't bother me, but I'm not like… enthusiastic. I don't want you to waste your time. I'll just go full time scavenger or something."

Silence. _Uh oh_.

"Are you _trying _to hurt me?"

Talia looked at him, puzzled.

He dropped his cigarette butt in a glass with the others and sighed. "You're not becoming a scavver Tali. I don't know what you think I'm looking for. It's business, not a cult. A professional is what I want, a professional is what will do well, not some murder junkie. You're not… distressed by the work, so you can work. You need a job don't you?"

"I do," she agreed.

"Then you can keep this one. Your work ethic is excellent and you're doing well."

Talia nodded into her drink. She knew him well enough now to accept his statements without questioning his sincerity.

"You haven't been smacked in the face recently, I see." He reached across the couch back and tilted her face toward him with a finger under her chin, to assess the side that took a punch a little while back. "Mostly cleared up now."

Talia remembered her first job that ended with more bruises and a split lip. "Thankfully no bones broke. I don't want a broken face."

"No, me neither. It's far too lovely for that."

She smiled gently and looked down at her drink. Sometimes he would say things like that, yet she couldn't tell if he was flirting or just making an observation, as if commenting on a painting. It was still flattering, but it changed how she felt like responding entirely.

She took another swig and laughed it off. "So what's a 'murder junkie'?"

He scoffed. "Don't be obtuse. You know what I meant."

"Yeah. A proper weirdo. So what about you?"

Burke raised an eyebrow. "Am I a weirdo?"

"No," she giggled. "What do you feel when you do this? How did you get into it? When?"

He ran a hand down his cheek. "Blimey, is this an interview?"

"Sorry," Talia smiled. "Just curious."

He gave her a slightly surprised look. "I don't think anyone's asked me that before. Hmm. Well, much like you it doesn't bother me. I enjoy wiping the smirks off people's faces, such as those who grossly overestimate their own cleverness. Seeing them realise they are merely a run of the mill midwit when they discover they're in checkmate is... a perennial joy."

"You like to beat people intellectually first, huh."

"Any idiot can beat a man physically. To make him accept he has lost before touching a hair on his head is the challenge."

"So how'd you start?" Talia sipped her drink and enjoyed listening to Burke talk about himself. Surprisingly rare given his obvious high opinion.

"I was recruited actually, in my teens. Local hardman thought I'd be a good runner cum spy. Moved on to a bit of enforcement for him. Took over after a while."

"Like a promotion?"

"No."

Talia's eyes widened after a few moments when she understood his meaning. She laughed under her breath.

"Power is like chess. Whether you want to seize it or keep it. I arranged all my pieces first, then taking him out left the rest with no other reasonable option but to follow. Not bad business, but too much hassle with drunks and druggies. Gave me a headache.

"Speaking of which, you have any aspirin?"

Talia shimmied back and grabbed a few boxes of painkillers from her bedside table. "And there I was thinking you were invincible," she joked as she settled back into her spot.

He groaned. "If I was it wouldn't've taken me so long to get back. Damn big dog prowling near the office, I had to go the long way around." He knocked back two pills with a glug of scotch.

"So what happened? You still have that business?" Talia probed.

"Sold it," Burke answered characteristically cryptically. When Talia rolled her fingers in the air for more explanation he continued. "Made a deal with the competition. My supply lines and infrastructure for a separation dividend and... a guarantee I could leave with no _disgruntled_ former employees on my tail."

Talia frowned in contemplation while swirling her drink. She realised she'd never even learned how to play chess. "You're so smart," she blurted.

Burke was giving her a funny look, but seemed pleased. "Thank you for noticing. But endeavour to be _thorough_. That can be learned, and a thorough plan will always trip up a chancer, regardless of intelligence."

"See… _smart._"

"Well, can I take the night off? I'm knackered." He lit another cigarette and sank deeper into her couch.

Talia smiled at him through dozy eyes. She was heaps more fond of him when he was a bit frayed. His usual bulletproof facade dropped, his mannerisms and words were more rough. Everything about him was more raw, which made him seem more real. Because honestly, how the hell had her life taken this turn? It was like a comic book. Except this villain- because she was under no illusions he would be the hero nor she the heroine- was real. He was sitting on her couch. Drinking her booze.

She kept on gazing. The soft light from the small lamp cast pleasing shadows on his face. His stubble was as thick as she ever saw it, usually after a good deal of travelling. Authentically raw, unlike some of the carefully manicured residents.

_Geez woman, just admit it._ It was nothing so pretentious. She just liked the look of it. She always thought he looked good, but when he was busy or just _done_, he lost the jacket, loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves. She bit her lip.

"Hey, you got a tattoo?" She grazed a finger just below his elbow, where she noticed some ink as he propped his arm on the backrest.

He glanced as if he'd forgotten about it himself. "Oh. That. Had to as part of that gang." He pushed his sleeve a little higher to show her more of the tribal pattern that presumably climbed to his shoulder. "Don't tell me you like them," he added, eyeing her with suspicion.

"Okay I won't," she smirked. She drank some more and laid back. Maybe the intoxication would deepen the state of peace she had earlier. She let the delicate sounds of Burke smoking tease her mind, the gentle warm breeze of the heater tickled her bare skin, and the soft background music lowered the tempo of her thoughts, sending a tingle down the back of her neck.

At some point she became aware Burke had stood. "You going?" she murmured.

"Yes. New contract on the table for you, have a think about it."

"Mmkay."

"Enjoy your wages. Don't spend it all at once."

"Mmm." She was too chilled to make a joke.

"Though you should definitely buy more of those socks."

She was not too chilled to blush.

* * *

The night it happened was like a song. The arrangement, the fluidity, the harmony. It was poetry.

_It was her fifth job. Burke had taken her far east to Rivet City. The reclaimed aircraft carrier could be reached by following the river, avoiding much of the concrete quagmire downtown. The target was on the ship. His sources informed him she was using the hotel. _

_This was unlike her other jobs so far. The city's security put Tenpenny Tower to shame. They would need to enter the city and remain incognito until they were safely out. They would need to discover the whereabouts of the target, and when she could be intercepted alone. They would need to be _quiet_. Planning and preparation were imperative._

_The stakes were raised, and it pleased Burke to see Talia rise to the occasion. She employed everything he'd taught her. Pressure seemed to improve her. She followed his lead with a gratifying naturalness, and when she took the initiative it was well judged. She knew how and when to utilise her youth or sex, something she was smart enough to realise gave her different options to him. _

_The hotel owner assumed they were father and daughter, and Burke gave her the heartwarming picture to confirm it. A small family, drawn to the stories of a great human city, he affected the endearing smile of an exhausted father doing his best._

_With no prompt, Talia removed the sympathetic owner from the room with a delicate request for help with a conjured lady's predicament. The mortified 'father' was left alone while the gold-hearted woman offered the sweet young guest help, allowing Burke to discover the target's room number from the hotel terminal._

Burke pondered this over a cigarette on his balcony. Deftly done, leveraging the human urge to help along with the sense of dignity that had survived in pockets around the scorched ruins of North America. It was not a blind request.

_He had the pleasure of taking her to dinner while they waited to sight the target. Once they knew she was not in her cabin they returned to the hotel._ _Burke the doting father fumbled in his pockets for the key, giving Talia time to pick the lock on the target's door. She gave him a nod when she was almost there, and both doors swung open as one. With smooth synchronicity they slipped inside and closed their doors together, so any prying ears only heard them pass through one._

Such was their harmony! Burke replayed the moment over in his mind. They were so in tune at this point, their plans so thorough, it was no matter they were separated by several bulkheads. He knew where she was poised within that compartment, with her newly silenced weapon at the ready. Something had aligned between them during their duo act. He smiled. He had never expected to have such fun with this project so soon.

_Then they waited. An hour and sixteen minutes later, footsteps. Burke leaned closer to the door with one hand on the handle, the other on his gun, in case of a commotion. But she wouldn't need rescuing. He could feel it. A door opened. Then nothing. He held his breath and tried to quiet his heart. The door clicked shut and a few moments later, a very soft knocking resounded through his door, in the pattern he and Talia had agreed._

He inhaled deeply, turning his face to the sky, reliving the feeling when he heard that gentle rap.

_He began to smile, knowing everything had gone smoothly. He opened the door to welcome his assassin. Because that's what she was tonight. Calculated, patient, focussed. Yes, pressure seemed to improve her. He had been anticipating spending time with her in such capacity and he was _not _disappointed. _

_She stole into the room, boots in hand so she could return to him without making a sound. He hadn't told her to do that. She was thinking. And her eyes… she said she didn't enjoy it, but the eyes always showed something. She was a pillar of focus. Her whole energy was different. Slick. Centred. Deadly. It suited her._

He took a long drag and closed his eyes, resurrecting the vision of her in front of him, immediately post-kill.

_She looked as good as she did at dinner, not a hair out of place. "No trouble?"_

_She shook her head. "Just like we planned. Didn't even know I was there."_

_His smile widened knowing there was no mess that could ruin their exfiltration. "You're getting good Tali." His voice was deep, prideful, but topped with real praise._

_The tension snaring her body broke and her face lit up with that familiar, beautiful smile, seemingly reserved for him. Her eyes sparkled and he found himself feeling grateful to be under their gaze so often. No one he could name emanated as much vitality and enthusiasm as she. _

Much as he loved Tenpenny Tower, a lot of residents were quite useless. Vapid bores, going through the motions of a false, pampered life at the expense of those more capable, offering little in return aside from caps. Sometimes he wondered what would happen if the tower was overrun. Who among them would find the will to survive? He was a firm believer in natural selection, and though he vetted everyone who desired a place in the tower, he also had to balance the books.

This woman who accompanied him back into the tower an hour ago outshone them all. Was she simply repaying him for lifting her out of the squalor of the wasteland? He couldn't say. But she obviously wanted more than a fine roof over her head and a high class social circle. She was unsatisfied with where she'd come from and unsatisfied with what she'd found. She was putting her all into what he was giving her, trusting she'd get something worthwhile out- whether she enjoyed it or not.

_Allowing himself to savour the moment, he stepped close and cupped her face between both hands, beholding his creation, his newest iteration of the lost girl he'd spotted that day in Megaton. "You're getting very good."_


	10. Jealousy

Gustavo was shooting the shit with Johnny on the gate. He still occasionally pinched himself. He hadn't had the time to do that until Talia and Burke got rid of the ghouls several weeks ago. Finally the guys had a little more downtime, and he didn't have a tower full of stressed out rich folks bothering him every day. He didn't know how she convinced Burke to handle it so soon, and personally. Guess she just had a prettier face than he did.

He turned at the sound of footsteps. Burke was due to meet him to go over needed repairs, now they had the time to do a proper job of it.

"Afternoon sir." He met Burke near the fountain where they shook hands.

"Chief. Let's see the damage."

Gustavo handed over a clipboard. "Nothing too bad to be honest. The guys were on top of every little thing because of the ghouls."

Burke scanned the pages for several moments. "Oh," he sounded pleasantly surprised. "Excellent. I do enjoy receiving only a small bill."

"Ah, so _that's _what you tell the madame?" Gustavo smirked.

"Very droll," Burke commented dryly. "I'm not a meiser Gustavo. It's just damned expensive to run a luxury apartment complex for the surviving gentry, all out of a dilapidated hotel."

"I know sir. Best place to live in the wasteland. It wouldn't be what it is without you."

"Alright, that's enough. What are you angling for?"

"Nothin' sir. Life is good since you and 101 got rid of them ghouls. Regular work rotas since I can remember. Although, come to think of it… now the guys have downtime, they're gettin' a bit… restless, y'know."

Burke raised an eyebrow.

Gustavo coughed. "I know of some five star ladies that travel, if you could get a letter with a courier."

"I highly doubt they're _five_ star," Burke said with a slight curl to his lip, "but alright. Just keep it quiet- you know how the older ones get."

"Copy that," Gustavo nodded.

He turned as he heard the gate opening. It was Talia, under a rucksack almost bigger than her. She looked like a damn turtle. She swung it to the ground to chat to Johnny.

"Still got her runnin' errands huh?" he asked Burke.

Burke shrugged. "Just to Lucky's now and then. Though I must admit I'm getting used to it."

Talia laughed loudly behind him. He turned to see Johnny had come out in front of the sandbags and was offering Talia a cigarette while they joked about something.

They'd been getting along well recently. That boy was flying close to the Sun in Gustavo's opinion. She wasn't spoken for as far as he knew, but if Johnny crossed her he'd surely be crossing Burke too. But the guy was fairly young with a younger woman laughing at his jokes. Caution was a forgotten quality.

Gustavo turned to find Burke's gaze hadn't wavered from the gate. "So... I'll wait for an update on repairs before we undo our temporary work, and get you that letter."

"Fine," Burke said through a clenched jaw.

_Interesting_. Gustavo turned and whistled through his fingers at the pair by the gate. "Back to work!" He waved away Johnny, who nudged Talia on the arm before returning to his post.

Talia trudged over with the bag on one arm. "Gustav! What the hell man?"

"Are you going to distract all my guys or just the one?" Out of the corner of his eye Gustavo was sure he saw Burke twitch. _Oh, Burke, you sly dog_.

"He was just having a smoke break," she complained.

"He can have a break when his shift ends. Besides, looks like you're busy too."

She reached the two of them and dropped the bag on the floor. "Yeah. Geez, Burke, these deliveries just keep getting bigger. Do I look like I have a second head? 'Cause I'm actually _not _a pack brahmin you know."

Burke snapped before Gustavo could say anything. "_Talia_. Watch your mouth. You're talking to the Security Chief, and me. Would you like to try that again?"

She shrugged.

"Try that _again_."

She rolled her eyes. "Sorry Chief. _Mister_ Burke, all the stuff is there. All ten tons of it."

Gustavo took a step back. He'd never seen anyone bait Burke so hard and survive. She either had special privileges or special needs. He folded his arms and chewed on his tongue.

"_Good,_" Burke hissed, "then you'll enjoy taking it up to storage."

She sighed in clear annoyance. Gustavo cleared his throat to mask his laughter.

Burke narrowed his eyes. "Yes, you'll do that. But first you'll tell me why it took you over two hours to make a forty minute round trip."

"Blythe is getting old. Eyesight's no good in that dusty shack is it?" Oh, she had a death wish, or she'd taken a knock to the head and forgot how to lie.

"Have you been out scavenging? I thought I made it clear you're not to go anywhere else on your own."

Talia sighed. "But there's so many old houses round here. They're only close by."

"No. One of them is close, and you've cleaned it out. I forbid you to go wandering around the others."

"You _forbid_ me? Are you my dad now?" She scoffed.

Burke stepped toe to toe with her. _Surely _she was in for it now. "I'm far worse than that Tali. Now get these things indoors and get that lip under control before you get in any more trouble."

She didn't move. Gustavo brought a hand to his chin. She was actually staring him down. This girl had more balls than the Capital Congressmen. He'd seen one of his own men literally shake in fear after pissing off Burke. She eventually buckled, albeit with another taunt.

"Fine. Can I still come out for target practise or am I _completely _grounded?"

"Get out of here Talia," Gustavo interjected sternly. As much as he wanted to see how much slack Burke would give her before breaking, it wouldn't be fair. The man was clearly jealous. He'd ruin her out of spite.

Gustavo laughed incredulously as she left. "Burke, what gives? She should be toast already by your standards."

Burke growled and yanked out his cigarette case. "She's got a job to do Gustavo. Racked up some overhead getting her here too. I can't have her wandering off into a raider camp just yet, but I can't come down too heavy lest she's no use anymore. Damned vexing."

Gustavo stroked his chin. That sure sounded more like Burke than the idea he had a _soft_ spot for the girl. "She seems a little uptight lately. I don't know if you noticed."

Burke slammed his lighter shut. "Yes. I think it was hearing Galaxy News Radio recently in Rivet City. That 'Three Dog' fellow seems to know all about her and her father- rumours anyway. She's been downright bratty ever since." He frowned and took a sharp drag of his cigarette.

Talia had told Gustavo about her dad. In his opinion, she should forget about it and get on with her life. Most folks had it rough in the wasteland. She was one of them now.

Burke continued. "I'd like to get my hands on that broadcaster, Gustavo. One, for turning Talia into _that_, and two, so I can find out who his sources are. He seems to have the first intel on anything and everything. It's quite incredible."

"Well, count yourself lucky their signal went down here. Though I'd kill for a bit of variety on the airwaves.

"Oh! That's an idea. Can I also put in a request for some more records? We've got about seven that still work. They're drivin' me nuts."

Burke gave Gustavo a weary look and left, waving a hand in acquiescence.

"Much appreciated sir," Gustavo called after him. The coming month was looking up.

He returned to finish his conversation with Johnny and enjoyed knowing they were heading into a good November. He'd even built up a decent cache of good booze so he and his guys could let loose while the residents had their Halloween party in two days.

His reverie lasted about twenty minutes before he heard a commotion over by the range. He ran over to the eastern corner of the compound to find Talia scrapping with one of his guys. Happy- named so because he never was.

"Alright, break it up you two!" He inserted himself between them with difficulty. After a glare at the guys watching, they pulled Happy back while he pushed Talia away.

"What the hell is goin' on?" he directed at his subordinate. "You punching girls now?"

"She swung first, boss," Happy complained.

He turned to Talia. "Well?"

Talia made a face. "Yeah… and I'll swing last too," she made a beeline for Happy but Gustavo caught her and shoved her to the ground. "Stay down!" He turned back to Happy. "Get a hold of yourself _right now_, or it's latrine duty for a week, y'hear?"

He dragged Talia up by her jacket and marched her out of view. "What the hell do you think you're doin'?"

Talia wiped her hair out of her face as he roughly released her. "He was talking shit Gustavo."

"That's pretty much all they do 101. You better get your head straight. If you were one of mine I'd let him beat the crap outta you- What?" He paused as she scoffed. "Look, I know you think you're some kinda hotshot now, but reign it in. You wouldn't last one minute with him."

"Wanna bet?"

She had some nerve. "_No_. As I was saying. I'd let you eat what you ordered, _but_... you're with Burke, so count yourself lucky I'm ending this here. And I'd appreciate it if you said no more about this to anyone."

Talia blinked and shook her head. "What are you talking about?"

Gustavo sighed. "Let me spell this out. Whatever reason, you're on Burke's radar. If he hears about this, Happy over there is gonna have a real bad time. Might even lose his nickname. I'd really rather not have any of my guys pulled up by Burke. Especially now. I've got a lot of perks coming our way. You understand?"

Talia frowned but nodded.

"Whatever's pissin' you off, forget it kid. I got no time for this crap."

She sulked but agreed to shake hands with Happy and make herself scarce. It _was_ going to be a great month, he'd make sure of it.

* * *

Burke checked his watch as he headed outside. The guard should be changing now. Sure enough, two of the tower's security chatted by the gate as they handed over. Burke ambled casually across the courtyard and intercepted the outgoing officer.

"Johnny- time for a smoke?" he called through the chilly dusk air.

"Oh, uh, Mr. Burke. Yeah, sure…"

Burke beckoned the officer with a twitch of his head and led him around to the western side of the building, where several sets of ornate tables and chairs sat empty. "All clear on the gate today?" Burke asked while taking out a cigarette.

"Uh, yeah, nothing going on out there sir," Johnny answered while pulling his own cigarette from behind his ear.

Burke patted down his pockets somewhat theatrically and sighed. "You got a light?"

"Yeah", Johnny hurriedly retrieved a lighter from his pocket and handed it to Burke.

Burke lit his smoke and pocketed the lighter, leaving Johnny open mouthed with his unlit cigarette dangling between his fingers. But he said nothing.

Burke shifted his weight to one leg and relaxed, warming his free hand in his trouser pocket. "You all have a lot more downtime since the ghouls were dealt with I hear?"

Johnny blinked. "Uh, yes sir, it's a lot better."

"And what do you think about the method of execution?"

"Uh… what? Sir?"

"The ghouls, my boy. How they were dealt with."

"Oh, um. Well it seemed risky to me, but the boss said we couldn't leave the tower to go down there ourselves. Talia told us how it went down, and it worked, so I guess I was pretty surprised."

"She's here a lot is she?"

"Talia? Uh, yeah, I mean, she's on the range a lot, so yeah."

"I hear she's spending more time with some than others out here."

The lad shifted on his feet so much he was almost jogging on the spot. He must have been in his late twenties but right now looked about twelve and guilty. "I'm not sure what- what you mean sir?"

Burke locked eyes with Johnny and took a long drag. The boy almost jumped when he exhaled. "She's not one of you, Shafer. Nor is she a guest, a bored resident, or some travelling hooker. You value your eyes and your hands I assume?"

"I- uh- what?"

Burke answered in a kindly manner, leaning in, as if speaking to an imbecile. "Your eyes and hands, my boy. You know, what you see and shoot and do other things with. They're important to you?"

Johnny was sweating. "Um, well, yes sir."

Burke smiled. "Then it would be wise of you to keep them to yourself. Do you understand?"

Johnny gulped. "I think so sir."

Burke rose up with a sharp inhale. "Good," he chirped, patting the young officer firmly on the arm. "I'm glad we had this talk. Now, I believe you're off duty. Don't let me keep you."

"Uh- thank you sir- yes…"

Burke glared at Johnny until he finally figured out he was being dismissed and jogged away. He extinguished his barely touched cigarette in an ashtray on one of the tables and returned indoors with a sense of satisfaction that was almost complete.

* * *

_I.O.U._

_To Burke,_

_Sorry for being a dick. _

_I brought you coffee and toast but you weren't in. _

_Tenpenny came out and ate it instead. Sorry._

_Tali x_

Talia slipped the note under Burke's door and hurried back to her room. She'd had a horrible gnawing feeling in her gut since she ran into him and Gustavo two days ago.

Ever since hearing the guy on the radio talking about her and her dad, she'd remembered the real state of her life and it put her on edge. She'd almost forgotten about all of it: the Vault, the deaths, her lying dad abandoning her. She'd shot straight to the top echelon of the best place to live in the wasteland and had been happily riding the wave in deliberate ignorance. Until, while in Rivet City, she heard Galaxy News Radio on the airwaves, the place Moriarty had said her dad was headed. Well, the DJ had definitely met her dad, and he was so far up his ass he could use his ribs as braces. To make it worse, somehow he also knew about Talia, Megaton, and had some kind of vendetta against Tenpenny Tower.

So yes. She had been quite tetchy since then, not just in the courtyard. Only after spending the rest of Monday in her suite, waiting for a call from a pissed off Burke that never came, did she start to regain some perspective. She didn't hear from him all Tuesday either, and she really started to wonder if she was in for some biblical punishment. But it was this chronic knot in her stomach, a sinking feeling in her chest that she may have truly earned his scorn that really bothered her.

Today was the morning of the tower Halloween party. She didn't think it would go down well to show without speaking to him first, so she'd gone to his room with a peace offering. But he wasn't in. Before she could leave, Tenpenny heard her knocking and assumed the breakfast she was holding was for him.

"Impressive for a mostly deaf man, huh?" Talia asked Godfrey while she made herself some fresh toast.

"Often, when a being loses one sense, another is increased to compensate. Perhaps he smelt the coffee, madame," Godfrey pondered.

"Hmm, a brilliant idea Godfrey, with just two minor flaws. One, I'm not sure he's _lost _his hearing as much as he just has a shitload of tinnitus from that sniper rifle. And two, if smell is his super-sense, surely he'd have that room cleaned."

Talia mechanically muched through a slice of toast, barely tasting the honey that normally elicited borderline indecent noises from her. A small frown darkened her brow as she browsed hairstyles on Godfrey's monitor, trying to choose something for the party.

* * *

"_I_ think Tali here has a crush. She hasn't stopped looking at him for ten straight minutes." Anthony pushed Talia's shoulder and laughed along with Herbert as they sat around a table in the Federalist Lounge.

Talia frowned at the two of them. "No! I think he's mad with me. He hasn't talked to me for days. I don't know if he's planning one of these infamous punishments… Why hasn't he even looked over since he came in? He's talked to everyone else in the room. Is this some kind of mind game? Should I go over? What if he didn't get my note?" She sipped awkwardly on her drink, torn between a desire to get trashed and handling the nausea she'd had since Monday.

"Loosen up Talia, it's a party!" Herbert chirped. "Not that we'd know it from your lack of a costume." He adjusted his pointy teeth and flourished his cape irately.

Talia pulled her eyes from Burke at this outrageous insult. "Hey, until a few months ago the fanciest clothing I owned was an _untorn_ jumpsuit. I'm taking every opportunity to dress up that I can. I'm not painting myself green just 'cause it's Halloween."

"Well if you did at least people might understand Anthony's costume." Dracula Dashwood turned to Anthony to berate him. "You can't be Dr. Frankenstein without his monster! No one gets it! You're just a guy in an old suit!"

Anthony brushed down his already immaculate Georgian style coat. "Just because some morons don't know Frankenstein is the scientist's name, not the monster, doesn't mean _I_ have to look horrendous at a party, thank you very much."

"He's got a point, Count," Talia said in support. "Plus, you could argue the scientist was the real monster, for playing God. So all in all, a stylish _and_ monstrous costume."

She and Anthony high-fived while Herbert continued loudly arguing his point.

"Alright grandad," Anthony interrupted, "calm down before you give yourself a coronary. Give Tali the thing already."

Talia looked at them curiously while Herbert reached to the back of his waistband. "I thought this would be a fun game later, to make people wear it and do dares. But since you've come improperly dressed and you're wearing red, you should take it for now." He produced a pair of sparkly red devil horns on a headband and offered them to Talia.

She looked at Anthony who shrugged guiltily. "They are going to look ridiculous sweetie, but he does have a point. The invite specified a dress code and you are breaking it by not being in costume. We simply can't have that."

She smirked and put them on with a sigh.

"A token effort, but I'm sure you'll get away with it in that very fetching red dress," Herbert remarked.

Talia grimaced and folded her arms, returning to her watch. He _still _hadn't turned from the bar.

Anthony nudged her again. "Just go over there Tali. You're being an absolute _bore_ over here anyway. At least we'll get some entertainment."

"_Fine_." She gulped the rest of her rum and coke and swept the headband off. "How's my hair?"

"See, I told you. She wants to _bedazzle _him," Anthony teased.

"_No_," Talia objected. "Does it cover this cheek? I'd rather not have questions about that right now." She turned her head to let Anthony check that the scratch left by the resident escort, Susan Lancaster, was sufficiently hidden by her hair.

"All good," Anthony confirmed. "But take my advice sweetie- don't get into fights with escorts. It's trampy. There's no other word for it."

Thinking he was probably right, she tried to exude literally any other energy as she joined Burke at the bar.

"Hi."

He turned in his seat as though he hadn't noticed she'd been in the room for the past twenty minutes and looked her over quite thoroughly.

She clutched her purse for dear life. "Did you get my note?"

"Yes. Poetic."

She laughed awkwardly. "That's me… well, you weren't around but I wanted to apologise properly for the other day… and generally…"

Burke peered over his shoulder as a couple of residents propped up the bar behind him. "Let's sit." He nodded in the direction of an empty table in the corner and headed towards it, taking the seat backing onto the wall.

Talia followed and carefully sat opposite, hugging her arms across her stomach.

"Go on." Burke leaned into the back of his chair and waited.

"I can see I've been a royal pain in the ass… that guy on the radio just reminded me of a lot of stuff. But I shouldn't be taking it out on you."

Burke didn't say anything so she figured she should carry on. "And it was disrespectful to talk to you and the Chief like that… in front of people… I'll get a lid on it, I promise." She waited for him to say anything but he remained silent. What was his game? "Are you mad at me?" she implored forlornly.

"Why would I be?"

Talia blinked. "Because of all that stuff…?"

"I am wondering why it took you so long to come to me?"

"Well I… I was pissed off for a while, and then I thought you'd find me, then it had been a day and I thought-"

"That your days were numbered?" He finished her sentence with a nefarious smirk, alluding to the stories produced by the tower's rumour mill.

_My days or my fingers,_ she thought. _Specifically, to a number less than the commonly accepted norm of ten._ She gulped, unable to read him at the moment. "Are- are they?"

"Everyone's going to die someday Tali," he smiled.

She breathed marginally easier. That seemed like the all clear. He wouldn't beat about the bush like that except to play games. "Yes… and many by my hand, because we've got lots of work to do now and long into the future, right?" She was ever hopeful.

"Indeed. That's the crux of it Tali. You're not a paying resident who can spend all day waving around an unearned sense of superiority. You have responsibilities here. You'll live to die another day. Don't worry- I have some tasks for you to make it up to me. You won't feel shortchanged."

Talia ceded to him with a nod.

"You're not curious what they are?"

"I'm sure they fit the crime sir." She offered a weak smile, though she still wasn't convinced he was cool with her.

His demeanor changed and he leaned in, searching her face for something. "You really don't care do you?" His question was curious, incredulous even, at her blind nonchalance to his punitive plans.

"Not so much about the details sir… I just don't want you to be mad with me." She gripped her arms tighter. She hadn't slept too well and she didn't have much but the truth for him right now.

He sat back and surveyed her a while, until his features softened slightly and a curl tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Who could stay mad at you?" he pondered quietly.

Talia let out a huge breath, a wave of relief calming her stomach and chest, though the butterflies moved right back in. She smiled back at him before bowing her head and tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Come on. Drinks." Burke stood and directed her to the bar.

She followed happily, feeling giddy at being back under Burke's wing.

"No costume?" he asked while they waited on Shakes, the bartending Protectron, to make up their order.

"Says you?" she countered, noting he was dressed no different normal.

"I'm the last president of the US before the war, obviously. He was partially responsible for the nuclear armageddon."

Talia laughed. "Sure. Well I have a little prop over there… and I painted my nails black if that helps." She extended her fingers for Burke to see.

"Hmm, different." He glanced briefly before trailing his gaze up to her face and speaking as though changing the subject entirely. "You look beautiful tonight."

"Thank you," Talia smiled, this time not averting her eyes. She couldn't get enough of the look he was giving her. There was something behind this compliment, something amorous and a little territorial. Time seemed to slow as his gaze settled on every part of her face. Her breath hitched in her throat as he reached out, a finger trailing the line of her jaw…

"What's this?" he asked tersely, his hand continuing and sweeping the remainder of her hair over her shoulder.

"Wh-what?" she murmured.

"This," he repeated, grazing her cheek with a knuckle.

Oh. _Oh._ He'd seen the scratch. "Oh, it's nothing," she answered casually, covering it with her hand. "Just caught myself."

He grasped her fingers and held them between their bodies. "Not with these."

She stared at her nails, kept short out of practicality.

"Who did this?" he pressured.

Talia faltered, remembering Gustavo's talk. "It doesn't matter, it was nothing."

"Well I can assume it was a woman. A vicious one. Lancaster?"

He knew his people. Her sagging shoulders confirmed his guess. "Yeah, but- hey, I didn't start it," she elaborated as he gave her an unsurprised look. "I was actually just trying to talk to her… I missed having a girlfriend… but she made it very clear what she thinks of me."

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy talking to her," Burke sneered. "I don't know where she gets her sense of importance."

Talia protested. "It's fine, I don't care, it doesn't matter."

Burke was stern. "Don't tell me what matters Talia." He lowered his voice so only she could hear. "You are my assassin. You're my girl. No one in this tower lays a finger on you. Or they'll answer to me." He leaned on the bar and scanned the room, clearly seething, as if hoping to find Susan immediately.

A lightness swelled in Talia's chest and she breathed deeply, eyes set on Burke's face. "Burke. That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me."

He returned his sights to her and after a few seconds his anger seemed to subside. "Ever?"

She rolled her eyes at herself. "Okay, maybe an exaggeration. I can't remember every little thing can I?"

He smirked to himself and handed her her drink.

"Thank you. I'm surprised you didn't know about Susan. It was in here. I mean, Herbert ran a book on it."

"Of course he did," Burke sighed. "Well, I know you can handle yourself. But catfights are never very hard hitting. I suppose there was a lot of slapping, hair pulling..?"

"Mmm," Talia groaned.

"More like wrestling, torn clothes and such?"

Talia finally caught his suggestive tone. "Oh-! Noo!" She slapped a palm over her mortified face and turned away.

"I'm sorry to tell you Tali. You were a spectacle."

She cringed harder, burying her head in her arms on the bar.

"You must be aware of who's watching, my dear girl. All the time."

"I was just defending myself," she groaned meekly, turning back around and drinking away the embarrassment.

"I wouldn't worry about Lancaster anymore. But watch Dashwood. He's always up to something."

Talia braved a glance over at Herbert. He _was_ always up to something, but usually she felt she was in on it too. They both liked to explore the tower and he wasn't opposed to going places he shouldn't, just to stir things up.

"Anyway, I assume you won?" Burke asked after a while.

"Yeah," Talia shrugged.

"Good girl." He patted her on the shoulder.

Talia made a face to say 'of course'.

"Ego… looks good on you," Burke purred.

Talia smiled and took a drink. This would either embarrass him or entice him. Win-win. She met his gaze and asked seriously, "What else looks good on me?"

He choked back on his drink and had to work not to spill any. He cleared his throat while brushing down his shirt. _Perfect_.

He smiled a little bashfully, a little licentiously, and slipped an arm around her shoulders. "Ahem… let's mingle shall we?"

* * *

Several hours in, Talia had not left Burke's side. She felt eyes on the two of them and she didn't care. She felt like somebody. She felt special.

He and Anthony were discussing the finer points of weave choices in a suit, when Herbert jumped up to a new tune on the jukebox. He asked Talia to dance. She accepted, keen to practise what he had taught her so far. But Burke stepped between them, seizing her palm in his own.

He led her by the hand to an open space before turning to face her and resting his other hand on her back. She reached up for his shoulder. His body heat radiated through his cotton shirt and his palm warmed her skin through the satin of her dress. The song was a casual tempo, a buoyant swing tune slow enough to enjoy without breaking a sweat, but that didn't stop her heart rate rising. The hem of her dress swirled outward with every twist. Each time she twirled back into him she grazed his bare arm where his sleeves scrunched high at his elbow.

He stepped lightly, barely moving at all but guiding her around him with his hands and momentum. She could sense his catlike abilities in these moments, and yet he was not too subtle. The strength and precision she'd witnessed in his work, she now felt it first hand. His breath warmed her cheek as he leaned in to pass her right hand into his own at her back, before he unravelled her with a step back and a tug.

He guided her into every move clearly, and she tried to fulfill his will perfectly. He was firm, but not rough. If she misread, he was quick to adapt to continue their journey around the floor.

"Trust me and let go," he urged.

She'd learned most of the steps with Herbert, but he was an old teacher battling with a child. With Burke, she could truly relax and allow him to move her as a partner, as a woman.

When she committed herself to him fully, everything fell into place. She stopped preempting his lead, allowing him to choose the path they took, acting on the first impulse she felt from his touch without overthinking. And just like when they worked in Rivet City, they found a wonderful synchronicity. He looked at only her and she only at him, and in that moment she would have followed him anywhere.

"I didn't know you could dance," she said between breaths.

"Of course. Some situations require a little finesse.

"Besides, it's a bleak wasteland. But existence is justified if one can still behold and dance with a beautiful woman."

Talia was surprised by his sensuality and immersed herself in the dance for the rest of the song. She realised it was over only as his warmth left her.

"Hm, we have an audience," Burke noted, glancing around the room.

Talia didn't look away. "I hadn't noticed."


	11. Ghosts

Talia propped herself up in bed to open another bag of surprisingly edible two hundred year old potato chips. She washed down the first with a mouthful of chilly Nuka Cola. She hadn't got too drunk at the party, but she had errands to run today. Hence she was awake at the ungodly hour of 10am, managing a hangover instead of sleeping it off.

"Godfrey?"

Her domestic robot rotated one of his optical sensors in her direction. "Yes madame? I can be equipped with cooking utensils if you require a hot breakfast. However, they were uninstalled after… the incident. May I suggest requesting room service from Cafe Beau Monde instead?"

"Um, it's okay, I'll grab something on my way out." She settled back into her pillows while starting properly on the second bag of chips. "I was wondering… what do you know about love?"

For a machine with no face and rotational symmetry, he did a great job of taking a shifty look over his shoulder. "Me? Why would I know anything about such human emotions, madame?"

"Well then, what do you think?"

"What do I think? Well… it is a difficult concept, to both explain and to understand."

"Try me."

"Ahem… very well. One could say… love is to grasp that something other than oneself is real. And then, if we try to understand that, it confuses us, torments us, enslaves us. We become lost! In the words of Austen, '_you pierce my soul, I am half agony, half hope._'

"We can even lose ourselves in the process of loving that other one too much... and forget that we ourselves are special too.

"But such tragedy is a necessary risk, for the alternative is to lock the heart away and let it become stone. It will never break that way, but neither will it ever soar in the way it was intended."

Talia gawked, holding a chip halfway up to her mouth. "Wow, Godders... that's deep."

Godfrey mumbled. "Ahem… well, since you asked, those are my thoughts based on what I have, er... parsed, from human behaviour and literature.

"It's probably complete nonsense, of course, since I have no way to really know what I'm talking about. Obviously." His voice chip must have overheated as he struggled the last few words. "Please, excuse me," he squeaked, before hovering to a far corner of the room to begin dusting.

Talia completed the chip's journey to her mouth and finished the packet in thoughtful silence. She would have liked to talk to Jonas right about now. Thirsty, she gulped the rest of the Nuka in one go.

She better get on the road soon. Burke had tasked her with taking some mail to Lucky's _and_ checking out a garage to the north for some components of interest. Mainly related to coffee machines. He'd found that highly amusing. It was a long, boring walk, he said, though the garage actually housed the entrance to another Vault- _Vault 112_. He must have known she would be excited to check it out, so she surmised the instruction she go today (instead of staying in bed with her hangover like everyone else) was his way of making it painful.

_Joke's on him_, she smiled to herself as she hopped out of bed. She knew she had a good few years before she'd wake up to a headache.

* * *

Susan Lancaster knocked quietly on Burke's door as requested. She was a little late but whatever. He'd waited this long to book her, what was another fifteen minutes? Plus, what kind of psychopath would book her the morning after a huge party? It was shit timing but she wasn't going to turn down business, especially with Burke. It seemed like he'd finally realised what he'd been missing. And she'd be missing his caps no longer.

The door opened and Burke greeted her with some hell of a look in his eye. He was an intense son of a bitch, that was for sure. She better get her game head on.

He directed her to the bathroom. Whatever floats his boat, she thought. "Ooh, great idea Burke, a hot steamy bath will make us feel _much _better."

Burke smirked a little and closed the door. "Not what I was thinking, but you're welcome to one later. You should undress. Wouldn't want to ruin your clothes."

Oh, he wasn't one of _those_ was he? He was paying double if he was. But she undressed as artfully as she could manage at this time in the morning. "You wanna join me?" she teased as she reached her lingerie.

He shook his head but approached.

"You have to tell me what you want at some point honey. How else am I gonna give it to you?" She laced her words with playful flirtation, intoning the last few with a heavy overtones.

He turned her around and guided her to the sink, where he stood behind her and met her eyes in the mirror. "I want you to learn something today, Susan," he purred into her ear.

"Ooh, playing teacher are we?"

"If that's what you want to call it," he replied, but his tone was far from hers. His face was deadly serious.

"Hey, whatever weird game-" she started to turn and push him away but he grasped her arm and forced her to face forward.

"Stay," he barked. "You need to learn your place, Susan. It seems you have been throwing your weight around."

"What are you talking about?" she protested. "You invite me up here just to give me some speech? Or are you going to get on with it?"

He reached up and took a straight razor from the shelf, opening it in front of her. "You got _involved_ with a certain VIP recently. Left a mark on her face just about here." He traced the blade very lightly along her cheek.

She recoiled from the cold metal. "Fuck! You mean that little girl? Yeah, she needs to learn who _I_ am, talking to me like that."

With deliberate slowness he lifted the hand gripping her wrist, and settled it across her collarbone, gripping her opposite shoulder. "Oh, I know exactly who you are, Miss Lancaster. I'm surprised you forgot where fighting got you last time. It's a privilege for you to be here, not a right. You should remember that."

"Fuck you," she hissed, tensing against the prison he had formed with his body. "You think you can do this to me? Wait til Tenpenny hears about this."

Burke snorted. "You think he'll listen to you over me? You're starting to believe your own hype."

Susan glared at Burke in the mirror, itching to get his hands off her. His grip was tightening with her every flinch, as if to remind her she had nowhere else to go.

He returned her glare coldly. "Unless she's paying you for it, you will not touch her again. That is unless you want to go back to Paradise Falls- on the wrong side of the fence."

Susan saw herself go pale at the mention of Paradise Falls, the hub of slaving operations in the wasteland. Burke could threaten her all he wanted, she'd dealt with plenty of violent men before, but the things she'd face if she was sent back after what she did...

"I'd rather die," she hissed, smothering the tremor in her voice.

Burke smiled. "Then behave. You'd be lucky if I slit your throat. You're worth a lot more for sale- either to the residents here or to your slaver friends. It makes no difference to me." He teased her throat with the razor before snapping it shut and dropping it into the sink.

Susan was ashamed to find she jumped as it clattered against the porcelain. She screamed in rage but Burke was already gone, the door flung wide open. She grabbed a bottle of something from the shelf and sent it smashing into the far wall.

* * *

Talia stood in the heap of medical and mechanical equipment beside an overturned trolley in Vault 112. Her breathing was fast and shallow while she processed what she'd just seen.

The Vault was different to the one in which she'd grown up. She'd spent a while investigating and questioning the caretaker _Robobrains_ on the setup. The inhabitants here were all enclosed in individual stasis pods of some kind. They had all entered at the start of the war and were still alive, in a way. Their minds were kept active in a virtual reality, while the life support system kept their bodies fed and watered. Most looked frail and withered, if not aged in the way she'd have expected after two hundred years.

But then looking through the window into the last pod she saw a man. She looked several times to be sure, climbed atop a tool trolley beside the pod to get a better view, shone her Pip Boy light inside to illuminate the figure. Then she went cold.

No doubt. It was dad.

She shambled down from the trolley, crumpling to the floor as dizziness washed over her. Eventually her head cleared and the cold turned to a fire in her chest. She yanked the trolley over, its contents spilling across the floor. She kicked the broken equipment at the pod and swore on deaf ears. The only presences in the Vault were the robots, and they didn't react at all.

Drawing on her training, Talia quieted herself. Standing in the mess she glared at where his body sat on the other side of the pod shell. He abandoned her for _this_. A second life, without her.

She backed up, stepping faster until eventually she turned and ran for the exit.

* * *

Talia found herself at the door to Lucky's and realised she couldn't remember any of the trip. She shook her head with a sharp, deep breath and entered. The room was as dim and dusty as usual. Blythe was tinkering in the back as usual. She knocked on the door frame to his workshop and headed in.

"Oh, hello Talia- blimey, you look like you've seen a ghost?"

"Yeah, I have. Got some mail." She dropped a wad of letters on a bench and ambled around it fiddling with the edge.

"Right you are," he muttered, hobbling over to scoop it up.

Before either of them could say anything else, the shop door opened and a voice called in to them. "Attention! We know you're in here. Your luck's run out. Come out slowly."

"Friends of yours?" Blythe whispered.

Talia shook her head, quietly flattening herself against the wall.

Blythe moved into view with his hands raised. "I run this place, I'm always in here. Perhaps you could do me the courtesy of telling me who the hell you are."

"Huh!" the voice retorted. "We're after that villain from the Vault. Tracked her here. You'd be best sittin' this one out, buddy. Quite a price on her head. Best not get in the way."

"A bounty! How exciting. Tell me, do you think your self appointed authority is enough for you to come into my shop with your weapons drawn and tell _me_ what to do?"

"I'm warnin' you bud. Send her out now and there's no need to get hurt."

Talia saw Blythe eye a shotgun he had mounted on the doorframe. She managed to catch his attention and shook her head vigorously. _Stall,_ she mouthed, turning to the window at the side of the shop. She crept over to it while Blythe joined them in the front room, dragging the conversation out long enough for her to delicately lever her body through it. She had a brief flashback to escaping trouble in the Vault via the ventilation shafts.

She dropped to the ground outside like a cat and immediately skulked around the back of the building. If she could just make it to her rocky outcrop... Peeking around the far corner to the entrance, she could see no more of the bounty hunters. She heard a crashing from inside and raised voices. They must have pushed into the back room and worked out she'd given them the slip.

She made a break for it, sprinting into the rugged rocky area that butted up against the trading post. She was light footed, feeling more like a stone skipping across water. She skidded onto her belly when she reached her cluster of rocks. Holding still and silent a few seconds, she could hear the first voice along with two others. They were irate but evidently hadn't spotted her. She took a careful look to find they were ambling around the back of the building searching for a sign of her whereabouts.

_Perfect_. Quietly Talia lifted a few choice stones to reveal a hunting rifle. Resting it in one of the nooks that made this such a special outcrop, she lined up the first man in her scope. Though still breathing heavily from the sprint, she controlled the rise and fall of her breaths and waited for the crosshairs to gently descend, coming briefly to rest over his torso.

He dropped and the others ran for cover, though they hadn't called her position. She waited patiently for the one behind the building to show himself, and scored a second hit. The last one she spotted moving into the rocks toward her. She heard a cry after firing a volley at a flash of colour. Then silence.

She let out a long breath, and laughed. _It actually fucking worked_. When she began her habit of trekking to and from Lucky's, uneventful though it usually was, it was still a habit. Habits can get you noticed. So she cased the area for good cover. A place to cache a weapon. A bolt hole where she could field any situations on her terms. A Plan B. Burke had told her to plan thoroughly.

After replacing the rifle how she found it, she made her way cautiously toward the building. She called out to Blythe and was relieved to see him appear out front, giving her a wave.

She had to check they were dead. She headed first for the guy in the rocks. She found him face down. She trained her pistol on him and rolled him over with her boot. _Not dead_. Her bullets hit him just too late to save her from his knife. A heat flourished on the side of her thigh and she looked down to see a red patch growing.

"Mother_fucker_. Who the fuck are you?"

She glowered at the body. He was dressed in a duster coat and like that poser Sheriff from Megaton. She rummaged through it, finding cigarettes and a holodisk. She inserted the disk into her Pip Boy, curiosity burning hotter than her leg right now. It contained a text file.

_Notice to all regulators seeking lawful bounties in the Capital Wastes:_

_Let it be known that the following individual is offered for bounty in the sum of 1,000 caps or similar compensation of expended equipment and/or medical expense, for crimes against the good people of the Capital Wasteland and environs:_

_**Name**__: #N/A, Talia_

_**Race**__: Human_

_**Sex**__: Female_

_Target is considered armed and extremely dangerous._

_Capture is NOT recommended - Bounty will be paid upon proof of death (head)._

_Let's put this devil in the ground and be done with it._

Talia sat on the ground beside the body reading the notice until Blythe laid a hand on her shoulder. "You're bleeding Talia."


	12. Cognitive Dissonance

"Regulators." Burke growled the word with a malice that darkened his face.

"'Lawful bounties'?" Talia asked from the clinic bed. "How can anything be lawful? The law doesn't exist anymore."

"Charlatans," Burke agreed, while Doctor Banfield tended to Talia's leg.

"Actual headhunters. Really? At least I only take an ear..." She joked but shuddered, and not just from the pain.

"Julius, give her something already," Burke snapped.

"No… not yet..." she protested. She knew if she passed out she'd wake and Burke would be gone.

"I'm going to kill them. Lots of them," Burke continued, more to himself.

"I already did. Can you save that for later? Please..." Talia pleaded weakly for Burke's attention. He wanted to leave immediately to hunt regulators, but she was scared. She felt weak. She needed to learn more about this group, when she might expect a few more to appear. But after finding her dad like that, she was scared of being left behind by Burke too.

He sat down next to her, though seemed barely able to keep himself in the seat. "I am going to send them a message."

"Can you do it later?" she winced. She closed her eyes and reached out for him. Even with Blythe's help, it had taken her a lot longer to get back to the tower than after she was bitten by the ghoul in the tunnels. The adrenaline had long gone and the pain was something else.

After a few moments she felt him take her hand in his. Thankfully he shut up about revenge too, so for a few seconds, everything was not as bad as it seemed. "This is because of Megaton isn't it?" she pondered eventually.

"Probably. Someone's figured out you're the person credited on the radio."

"Fucking Three Dog," she wheezed. "Who does he think he is?" Talia squeezed Burke's hand as the pain surged. "He doesn't have proof of anything. And what about you? They're not after you?"

"They've been after me for a long time. They seemed to lose their appetite at some point though."

Talia's body warmed in perverse happiness at being associated with this man. She was probably supposed to be appalled by his deeds. She was probably meant to be scared of him. But she felt protected whenever he let her see how dangerous he really was.

She could see why these people might feel justified hunting her down, why they were both on a list somewhere. But so were the people they hunted. Nothing was black and white. Fuck these self righteous assholes. Everyone had a story.

Burke sat with her while the Doc continued her immediate treatment. She refused anything for the pain as long as she could, instead using Burke's hand as a release. He spoke less as time went on, and by the time he overruled her and told the Doc to give her something, his expression was darker than she'd ever seen it.

As she slipped out of consciousness, Burke let her hand fall, massaging his own back to life. He would not be there when she woke up.

* * *

"Regulators?"

"All the contracts you have."

"You're on the warpath, Mr. Burke," Littlehorn commented amusedly.

"They're as good a target as any," Burke replied coldly.

"I just wonder what made you ask for so many so suddenly, and whether it could be related to whatever has caused this great upset I can see in you?"

Burke raised his eyebrows. He had simply walked in and asked for contracts.

"I can see you're tense, you didn't stop to chat with Miss Underwood before coming in here as you normally do, your heart rate is unusually high, and you appear to be somewhat hungover. Not that I disapprove of the last one- it's good you finally had a little fun. You should do it more often."

Burke grumbled at being so transparent. But this was Daniel Littlehorn, so not too much could be done about it. He could read people with almost supernatural ease.

"They've put a bounty on Talia sir. I wish to help them see their folly."

"Ah, your big project. Yes, I've seen her paperwork. Extraordinary. You believe her exceptional progression is due to your regime after the initial event?"

Burke clenched his jaw at the suggestion he was the Commandant of some training camp. Of course, the idea was always to keep the chosen associate close so he could manage their rebound from phase one, but it turned out it was a two way process. Any midwit with the right cache of drugs could brainwash some damaged soul into a useful tool. His plan was far more nuanced, and Talia had shown herself to be far more than a guinea pig. He wasn't sure anymore that he could have found the same success with anyone else.

"She has shown great interest in learning the tools of the trade, and my 'regime' as you put it does seem to have encouraged her to ensure she excels at them," Burke answered diplomatically.

Littlehorn arched his fingers at his chin. "I have to say, I wasn't very expectant at first. Like I said, extraordinary.

"Considering she dispatched three regulators alone, I'm going to suggest she works solo for a few contracts- it's early I know," he added as Burke shifted as though to interrupt. "But she's clearly very capable. I'd like to see sooner rather than later how she fares when left alone. With the work and the motivation. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I would prefer to follow the original plan. Cutting training short seems… unwise."

Littlehorn stared at Burke in such a way that even he felt uncomfortable. A breeze danced around his ankles, despite the doors being closed and the shack having no windows.

"But… of course, as you say, she seems ready to show us more."

Littlehorn nodded to Burke's agreement. "You can collect the regulator contracts from Miss Underwood on the way out. Goodbye Mr. Burke."

Burke left the shack sucking on a freshly lit cigarette, scanning the surroundings out of habit for signs of the dog that seemed to have made the scrapyard home. Sensing it was clear he rifled through the contracts in his pocket for something relatively nearby. He rarely left the office so angry. One of these was going to have a very bad day.

* * *

"Well look who it is. Nice set of wheels you got there 101." Gustavo grinned at Talia as the squeaking of her wheelchair caught his attention. "Doc's lettin' you out a bit early isn't he?"

Talia sighed heavily. "I had to get out of there Gustavo. I can't just sit around doing nothing. He said it was ok as long as I don't move my leg. Check it out." She pushed her wheels in such a way she executed a swift three sixty spin on the spot.

Gustavo laughed. Nothing seemed to dampen her spirit. "You had us worried. A bunch of people got up after the party to find you'd been stabbed."

"Must've wondered what they missed," she joked back. "Hey you want a drink? I'm going to the cafe."

"Sure. Coffee, thanks."

She wheeled herself away and returned several minutes later with a tray on her lap containing three coffees and a sandwich selection. "What are you doing?" he chuckled.

She delivered his coffee to the desk and smiled sheepishly. "One for me, and I'm gonna take this to Burke. Can't do much else can I?"

"Not sure waitressing is really the job for you either, wheels."

"Sure it is. Observe how steady this setup is." She weaved around in the chair to show nothing would spill.

"Ha, alright maybe I'm wrong. You two good since that little tantrum outside?"

She nodded sheepishly again.

"Good." He was glad to hear it. In the days since he recognised Burke's envious streak, hilarious as he found it, he'd come to root for the pair. He hadn't realised how much until just now. Considering her timid response, maybe there was something to the rumours that had come out of the party.

"Still, you're on recovery. You should take it easy."

She jostled her chair in a fidgety manner while protesting. "I don't wanna be useless though… besides, Burke hasn't stopped has he? Every time he's come by the clinic he looked fucked. Seen those bags under his eyes?"

"Maybe he's just old," Gustavo prodded.

Talia rolled her eyes. "Nah man, _he_ needs to take it easy."

Gustavo laughed to himself. She was so desperate to be around Burke she was busting out of hospital. That, or she really was worried about him overworking himself. It was the sweetest damn thing he'd seen in a long time. He hoped she could keep that heart of hers so pure while surrounded by mercenaries and social climbers.

"Well, if anyone can convince him it's you."

She gave him a funny look as if she didn't know how much influence she really had. "Oh, hey, no one got in trouble the other day right? With the thing that… didn't happen?"

Gustavo smiled. "Yeah, everything's fine 101. Nothin' you need to worry about, thanks."

"And you get your perks? This place is pretty well stocked but I feel kinda bad for you all staying outside, although I love being out in the open too. Sometimes I sleep on my balcony you know."

"Really? I guess it's new for you. I get it, I wouldn't wanna be cooped up underground. There's a certain freedom outside." Gustavo ignored her question about perks. He occasionally felt a little paternal towards her, at times such as now when she was being a damn sweetheart. There were things she didn't need to know.

"Right? My dad did _not_ get that. I always wanted to come outside."

"Look where it got you," he noted, nodding to her new mode of transport.

"Worth it," she grinned.

Gustavo was glad Burke seemed to have taught her caution, because she definitely had an appetite for anything the wasteland could throw at her.

"Thanks for the chat Gustav, it's nice to be out."

"Try and stay out, huh?" he called after her.

* * *

Talia sullenly watched the stars move above her from Tenpenny Tower's roof. She'd spent two weeks helping out any way she could think of and, when he was in, trying to convince Burke to chill out. She'd also ditched the chair and could get around on a crutch now, but even that didn't convince him she was on the mend and ready for any kind of work. She wondered where in the sky she could find her star sign. Was she born to this? To be such a bad person she was ditched by her friends and family? She was pretty bad at it, because she'd even fucked that up.

She jumped at the sound of the rooftop door opening. She thought she'd be alone up here since it was pretty hard to reach and probably off limits.

"Burke?" she squinted at the figure in the dark.

"Talia? What are you doing up here?"

"Getting away from Tenpenny's night shoot. You?"

"Same," he answered curiously while joining her where she was leaning. "_How_ did you get up here?" He gestured to her big underarm crutch.

"I told you I'm not a cripple didn't I?"

"Don't ask me again, I don't care how many stairs you can climb with that thing. You should be resting."

"Sure," she turned to face the wasteland. "How come you're not busy?"

He grumbled to himself. "I subcontracted the rest out to mercs. Better that way. If they all hit at once it will be an obvious message."

Talia took a sidelong glance at him. "Nothing to do with, I dunno, you being shattered like I pointed out?"

"It can be both, can't it? Anyway, the tower can't run itself."

_Of course he won't just relax._ She'd have to drag him to bed herself at his rate. To get him to sleep, she meant. _Shut up, brain._ "I could help with that you know," she offered hopefully. Anything to avoid being a deadweight.

He brushed off the idea and Talia's mood plummeted once more. There was something bothering him and she sensed it was to do with her. She looked back out to the horizon. "You'd tell me if I did something wrong, right? If I needed to be better? You'd give me a chance to fix it?"

"What?"

"I let that regulator get me, and now you won't let me do anything. I'm not useless, and I'll be on my feet properly soon, please don't write me off."

After a long pause Burke spoke incredulously. "You think you messed up?"

Talia shrugged.

Burke exhaled slowly before chuckling softly to himself. "Jesus Christ Tali. You survived an ambush and killed all three of them. You think I'm unimpressed?"

She frowned.

He ran a hand down his cheek. "Perhaps it slipped my mind to tell you. That was quite a test and you passed with a distinction, my dear girl."

"Oh…" She wished he'd told her that earlier, though she still felt the pleasant smouldering of pride in her chest. "Then I've proved myself? Why can't I do anything? Even just some planning?"

Burke sighed into the horizon. "Because, I need you to recover fully first. You understand?"

She sighed but nodded.

"And do you understand how dense you sounded just now?"

She giggled a little and nodded.

"Tell me," he teased.

"Tali confuse. No breathe and talk at same time," she jested over her own stupidity.

He laughed tiredly and she sighed warmly to herself at the sound.

"Why do you still look like you want to pole vault off the roof with that crutch?"

No, she didn't want to talk about this. She'd been trying to forget it like Gustavo said. She didn't owe him any more of her worry. He'd released himself of the burden of being her father when she was old enough to be busied all day by work. He'd just made it concrete after she turned eighteen.

She stirred as she felt Burke's hand on hers. She looked down to realise she was clutching at her own arm so tight she was leaving nail marks. She shook it out and shook her head, preparing to change the subject. But his face was a picture of concern. She owed him some explanation, if only to take a weight off his mind.

"I found my dad. In Vault 112. Apparently he left to go live in some virtual reality there. Crazy huh?"

Burke reeled. "Really? Hm… incredible. Did you speak to him?"

Talia frowned. "No, I… I just left. I don't know how you'd do that. He's all hooked in to some life support.

"Anyway it's over. I don't have to wonder anymore. Honestly I'm disappointed- how much of a coward do you have to be to hide from the real world like that?" She turned to Burke to emphasise her final point. "_Super_ lame."

Burke smiled strangely at her before patting her on the shoulder. "You're right where you belong."

She cocked her head to one side curiously.

"The top," he added, probably thinking that made him any clearer. "And as someone at the top, I suggest we utilise the fact we have heating downstairs."

Burke watched Talia propel herself ahead of him, somehow quite gracefully, as they headed back inside. She hadn't once complained about getting hurt. Her admission she thought he was disappointed that she sustained any injury at all still simmered in his chest. It was always pleasing to have a dedicated follower, but she was a perfectionist. He ignored the niggle at the back of his mind that said her devotion was driven by emotion he'd sworn not to encourage. He couldn't deny he took great pleasure in knowing how far she would push herself for him… but the cold rage that consumed him when he saw her collapsed in the clinic, knowing the knife had come within inches of her femoral artery. He'd thought of little else but revenge. Unfortunately it seemed nature had long since curbed his ability to run on vengeance alone.

They stepped into the elevator and he yawned.

"Burke, please get some sleep," Talia told him earnestly.

"If you stop chasing work and rest," he countered.

"Deal," she sighed, propping herself in the corner.

"Why are you so keen on working anyway? I thought you didn't care for it that much."

She looked at him darkly. "Work is very important Burke. In the Vault anyone who wouldn't or couldn't work was mulched for crop fertilizer."

Burke blinked. "Christ. Really?"

She smiled and shook her head.

It took him a few seconds to get the joke, and a few more til he was completely washed out by the wave of affection that swelled through his body.

The doors opened and they exited at penthouse level. Burke cleared his throat. "You want a drink?"

She looked at him not a second too long before saying yes.

He led the way to his room, offering her the couch. "I have scotch or scotch."

"Yes."

He sat down next to her while she struggled to find a comfortable position. "Truth be told, I don't like seeing you like this Tali," he admitted while pouring the drinks.

"Well maybe you should've trained me to be a maid or something instead huh?"

"You're doing quite well at that on your own lately." He handed her a glass which she promptly drained. "Woah woah woah," he plucked the glass from her hands, "what do you think you're doing?"

"Sorry. Call it pain relief. I'll taste the next one, promise."

He raised his eyebrows and poured another. "How did you end up working maintenance anyway?"

She sighed. "Um, maybe because the Overseer didn't like me, I don't know. Maybe just because I fucked around in the goat."

"I beg your pardon?"

She looked at him before laughing at herself. "Okay so, we had to do a general occupational aptitude test, the 'GOAT', and that would decide our job. I thought it was stupid so I didn't take it very seriously."

"Backfired did it?"

"Well like I say I don't know. The Overseer never liked me. He might have rigged my results to give me the bum job.

"It makes sense if what Moriarty said was true- that me and my dad turned up when I was a baby. He had his little empire running all smoothly, then we join the Vault, I'm asking all these questions and eventually turn his whole world upside down."

Burke let his eyes fall on her soft dark hair while she spoke. It was getting longer, giving her face a more womanly appeal than when he'd found her. Her work had refined her resting expression, her eyes now holding the glint of someone who knew what it really was to be alive. But she hadn't lost that playful spark he recognised when they met, that had lit up life in the tower.

"What about you?" She suddenly turned on him. "Why are you still in the Capital Wasteland? You say we're at the top… well what's next? It's so… dead. Surely there's something out there?"

The question caught him off guard. He'd worked so long on Tenpenny, spent so much energy on contract work and building the tower into a coveted luxury compound, protected from the misery of the wasteland, that he hadn't really stopped to think about what happened when it was complete.

"A bit of praise and you're raring to take over the west?"

"I just wondered… sometimes it seems like we're at the top of a whole lotta nothin'."

He realised she had a point. "The Capital Wasteland... was a land of opportunity like they say. Still is. Disparate settlements. Power vacuum. No law but vigilantes. Prime environment to seize power, land, wealth."

"And rebuild?" she asked, referencing the unofficial Tenpenny mission statement.

He took a drink, realising that mission had stalled a long time ago. Once the tower was habitable, he'd gradually worked Tenpenny into the sidelines so he was the de facto tower leader. Cloistered Tenpenny was now little more than a useful figurehead, an authority to call on or blame where required. But the man had found respite from boredom at the bottom of a bottle. So much that he'd even abandoned his own interest in the tower's original revenue driver- acquiring specialist military gear and selling to the highest bidder. The razing of Megaton was the closest thing to rebuilding he'd done a while.

"You ask a lot of questions," he grumbled, shrugging off his jacket. "Cigarette?"

"Today, sure." She took one and mirrored him, removing her boots. He mostly saw her in khakis, given she spent so much time doing some kind of physical training. But they suited her. She was clearly very confident given her known capabilities.

He held out a flame and she leaned in to light up. "You've done that before," he smirked, having never known her to accept a cigarette.

She smiled cheekily. "I hung out with the bad influences as a kid."

He watched her take a few drags. "You know, you suit a cigarette."

She turned dusky eyes on him for a few moments. "So do you."

Their eyes lingered for a while through the haze, until she took another drag and readjusted her seat. She was still in some pain. This was not the time to tread this particular line.

"Here." He tossed her a pillow and cleared the coffee table, putting his feet up and slouching low. He closed his eyes and faced the ceiling, savouring the flavours of the smoke as the familiar prelude to a fast approaching sleep. The warmth of the room and softness of the couch soothed his aching muscles. Eventually a warmth settled against his arm as Talia slipped deeper into her seat.

"You're so good to me," she murmured.

"I am?"

"Well, relatively, at least," she amended.

Burke snorted lazily.

The weight increased as she flopped her head on his shoulder and continued breathily. "Burke… I want to tell you something…"

Burke tensed. He was fairly sure he knew what was coming and he still had no idea how he was going to handle it.

"I… I think you're my guardian angel."

Alright, he was wrong. He exhaled and laughed at the notion. "How much have you drank?"

"I'm serious," she grumbled through her cigarette.

"How did you work that one out? Surely I'd know about this?"

"Well, maybe you have to keep it secret. It would explain why you have no name."

"I have a name," he protested.

"Yeah, but only one. Just like the angels."

"So do you. You haven't told me your family name."

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours," she giggled.

"I can just find out yours if I do some digging."

"Farley. There, now you can't."

He raised his eyebrows. "Tali Farley?"

"Now you see why I never mentioned it."

He chuckled a little while, fuelled more by her meek complaints than the name itself, before honouring her deal. "Robert."

She looked at his face as if to try it on. "Robbie Burke huh."

"Don't use it."

"Hmm, no. I'm sure it should fit but, it just sounds wrong after so long."

"You're telling me," he sighed.

She settled back into her seat and dropped her cigarette butt in the ashtray between them. Burke did the same and moved it away. Disregarding his thinking brain, he pulled his arm free and wrapped it around her. Wordlessly she shifted so she nestled into his shoulder, his arm rising and falling with her breath, and he dozed, noticing how comfortable her body felt resting against his.


	13. Fresh Meat

The adventurer patrolled his favourite spot of land, ambling in the spaces between the metallic hills. It told so many stories, such as who had passed through and what they had eaten. There were signs others had been here recently, but they were faint so he did not worry himself. However, protocol demanded he reinforce signage to deter any more trespassers.

He rounded a particularly interesting corner and stopped dead. Someone was here now. A human by the smell of it. He moved cautiously, staying low and quiet until the intruder revealed themself. The scent grew thicker. It was a familiar bouquet of something pungent, tobacco, along with a new, more edible note.

He was spurred forward by this new information. The visitor usually seemed benign. Indeed, on spotting him today, the human crouched. But not in the same cautious way as he. Instead, they seemed to be resting and busying themself with something. A bag. The adventurer's curiosity was piqued in the way that the hidden possessions of others always captured his undivided attention. Then, the visitor revealed the contents of the bag to be the source of the new odor. It looked like meat.

The visitor did not eat, but waited with what appeared to be an offering. For him? It couldn't be. But after carefully assessing the situation, the adventurer decided everything seemed legit. When he finally crept close enough to take the offering, which was indeed meat, he decided the visitor was alright in his books, and apologised for being so standoffish each time they had crossed paths previously.

The adventurer was quick to make new allies in this way, and the pair left together for a new adventure.

* * *

Shots rang out across the suburban DC wastes, echoing around the perimeter walls of Tenpenny Tower. Talia had joined security this afternoon for some moving target practise. A group of radscorpions was gathered nearby and all off duty heads were above the parapet for an impromptu shooting contest.

"It's not called a fuckin' 'herd', is it Johnny? They're not fuckin' horses," Vasquez called out to her left.

"Well how am I supposed to know anything about horses? I haven't got my fuckin' encyclopedia of extinct fuckin' animals on my person right now, have I?" Johnny protested.

"It's not fuckin' rocket science though is it? There's obviously no such thing as a herd of radscorpions."

"That's not obvious at all though is it? You fuckin' melon."

"Sure it is," Vasquez argued stoically. "'Herd' _obviously _pertains to big animals such as the brahmin and the aforementioned 'horse'. It's very fuckin' obvious when you think about it, isn't it?"

"You're fulla shit Vasquez. How d'you know a horse is anything like a brahmin? They don't exist."

"What, like unicorns?" Talia teased.

"Whatsa unicorn?" Vasquez asked.

Johnny jumped back in. "Ooh, Doctor fuckin' Doolittle over here doesn't even know what a unicorn is. Bet he doesn't know if they hang out in herds."

"No one does, they're not real," Talia clarified with a snigger.

"Just like horses then," Johnny concluded.

"It's not a herd you muppets, that means there's hundreds of 'em. There's only about twenty scorpions out there," Grayson joined in to her right.

"Wrong," Happy chimed in. "But it's still not called a herd."

"Are they insects?" Talia thought out loud. "Maybe it's a colony?"

"A hive!"

"Are they dead yet?" Gustavo shouted up from the courtyard.

"Nearly… hey boss, what's a group of radscorpions called?"

"A nest. Or a bed," Gustavo answered.

"A fuckin' bed of scorpions… sounds like some shit you wake up to if Burke doesn't like you," Grayson mused. Johnny coughed.

"Tali knows all about that," Vasquez joked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"You're his golden girl, you must know his tricks by now." A flurry of sniggers followed and Talia heard "I bet she does" from down the line.

"Fuck off Grayson," she said in the direction of the comment. She found it almost comforting being down with the security guys. It reminded her of her job in the Vault, which was low status and low prospects but somehow fun because of it. Mainly due to the people she worked with. They could openly insult each other and all have a good laugh about it. With Gustavo's guys, to be accepted was to have the shit ripped out of you daily. It was an honest philosophy and Talia could appreciate it.

"Don't piss her off Grayson, she's a fuckin' ninja now, didn't you hear?"

"Yeah, how'd you drop them three regs Tali?"

"She flashed 'em and shot 'em while they were tryna take a picture."

"Don't be stupid. She just went fuckin' beserk. She's a little pocket rocket. Happy knows."

Talia snickered while they joked about how she dealt with the ambush a few weeks ago. "I can neither confirm nor deny," she offered.

"See, she's gone fuckin' dark. The VIPs in this place are all shifty, I keep tellin' you."

_VIP_. She had to admit, she did feel like one now. She was recognised about the tower, though for what no one was particularly certain. Was she riding on Burke's coattails or did she have her own rumours? She tried not to care, but she quite enjoyed the feeling that people were at least looking _up_ to gossip about her. Even Susan averted her eyes when they crossed paths. She wondered how Burke had _reasoned_ with her on that.

She'd wondered a lot about Burke's reaction to her skirmish. Maybe it was all part of the VIP service. Maybe he just really hated regulators. But she didn't think she was being big headed to notice he took it very personally. He'd hunted and killed men for her, and the thought made her shiver. And not in a bad way.

When the radscorpions were all dead, she lowered herself down from the wall, testing the strength of her leg. She was mobile now but might not be one hundred percent for quite a while according to the Doc. The guys assured her she'd feel generally fine unless she needed to do something 'really strenuous'. After cautioning them about strenuous use of their eyebrow muscles, she assumed they actually meant sprinting or carrying someone. Nonetheless, she didn't mind a bit of dumb humour now and then either. It gave her mind a rest. She didn't know how Burke kept it up all the time. She might learn to understand chess, but she doubted she had the mental stamina to finish a game.

Gustavo counted the marks on the wall, made by each man per kill, and declared Happy the winner. He accepted his bottle of rum with a shrug and walked off. Gustavo laughed, set the men to collecting brass and sent Johnny for coffee.

While he waited, Burke arrived at the gate with a new companion in tow. "Who's this?" he asked after strolling over.

"New tenant. Where's Talia?"

"Somewhere round here." He turned to where the shootoff had just taken place and shouted for her. She came jogging to the gate.

"Burke! Check it out, I can jog too now- oh my God, who is this?"

Burke shook his head. "Why do you all expect me to have a name? It's a dog, and it's male." Talia cupped her face in awe.

"Never seen a dog before 101?" Gustavo asked.

She turned to him seriously. "No Chief, I haven't. I grew up in a hole. We had radroaches." She turned back to the dog. "He looks like a maneater!"

Gustavo had to agree. The mutt came almost up to Burke's thigh and was mostly black. It looked like the old German Shepherd breed used by a lot of pre-war police and military.

Burke wagged his eyebrows and snapped his fingers at her comment. "That is the idea. Seen it hanging around for a few weeks now. It isn't rabid, and I thought you could use a… bodyguard, of sorts. For when you're out alone."

Talia looked between the dog and Burke, wide eyed. "He's for me?"

Burke nodded. "Train it, though it seems to know the basics. Take it out with you. They've a good nose, should give you advanced warning of any trouble as well as deter anybody with… foolish notions."

Talia briefly shot Gustavo an awed look, then smiled at Burke while clasping her hands in front of her chest. She looked like a kid at Christmas. She crouched down and tried to coax the dog to her. It padded over curiously and sniffed her hand. Eventually it let her ruffle the fur around its face and postured playfully.

Gustavo felt a pat on his shoulder and turned to find Johnny with his coffee. He took it gratefully and eyed Burke suspiciously. "A dog huh?" _A big one._ Did he dare to dream Burke's reasons were more sentimental than he let on?

Burke propped himself on the sandbags by the gate. "It basically followed me. Besides, the tower should have a mascot, no?"

"Well, we do have that massive rat that lives in the basement. But a dog is more impressive."

The mutt was now indulging heavily in the attention Talia was giving it, getting bolder and attempting to lick her face while she laughed. She managed to convince it to sit still for a few seconds and gave it a big hug while baby-talking it.

She turned her beaming face to Burke while it licked her cheek. "Oh Burke, I love him already."

Burke groaned. "It's supposed to be a vicious killer, Tali. Don't coddle it." _Oh the irony. _Gustavo bit his cheek.

She looked at the dog and smoothed back the fur over its face, speaking somewhat sagely. "But if he loves me back, he'll fight even harder for me." She reverted to baby talk as quick as she blinked. "Won't you boy? Yes you will, yes you will." The dog got tired of being restrained and jumped away mischievously.

Talia stood and turned back to Burke. Gustavo almost missed it as she sprang over to him, draped her arms around his neck and delivered a quick kiss to his cheek. She danced away to chase the dog, which had identified her as its current playmate.

Gustavo blinked. Repeatedly. Burke was almost smiling as he lit a cigarette and watched the pair.

"She uh… she really likes that dog," he commented casually.

"Your point being?"

Gustavo coughed. "Nothing sir… it's a good mascot." He turned and led Johnny away. "Did you see that Johnny?"

"What boss?"

"Don't play dumb, you know what. 101 just kissed Burke on the cheek, I'm not seeing things?"

Johnny shook his head.

"Well I'll be damned." Gustavo looked over the courtyard to where the dog was leading Talia around the fountain in a game of tag, while Burke smoked and watched. He fucking knew it.

He patted Johnny on the back. "I'm sorry son. She is head over heels. And he is all there for it. You never stood a chance."

"Yeah, whatever boss. Anyway, I don't see the big deal. People kiss their grandparents like that."

"No Johnny!" Gustavo snapped, sentimentality building in his chest. "Not with these two. Can't you see it?"

"See what? If she's that into him then why hasn't he-" he cut himself off under Gustavo's disapproving frown.

Gustavo tutted at his youngest soldier. "You got a lot to learn, son. This… this is real romance. You can't rush it. It's like a flower. You have to give it time, and the right conditions, but when it blooms… it's beautiful."

Johnny raised his eyebrows and dismissed himself, leaving Gustavo to finish his thought.

"It's God damn beautiful."

* * *

_Talia pirouetted to show how much her leg had healed, but Burke's smile touched her like a summer rain. There was a melancholy to it, a reminder that the long, warm evenings are only ever temporary. She asked what was wrong, to receive the reply, only Shakes' calculation of his bar tab. She would be able to work soon, but there was a difference now. She would be working alone._

_This early? Right after recovery? She had proven she was ready, he said, every job would be easier than being ambushed. She believed him, but still the summertime sadness lingered in the air. Maybe he just ate a bad sweetroll, she thought. She smiled and asked questions, hiding her own angst at hitting the road without him. He seemed pleased. She wouldn't disappoint him._

Talia bathed in moonlight on her balcony, contemplating meeting the head of the nefarious organisation in which she had found herself working. The key Burke had given her weighed heavy in her hand. Her other fingers scrunched in the fur of her new dog. She smiled at him warmly. At least now she wouldn't have to go alone.

"I feel like fresh meat all over again, dog," she told him. "I guess that makes you… dogmeat."

The dog seemed to enjoy her joke (or perhaps he recognised the word 'meat') so she named him for it, and debated whether or not a vicious killer should be allowed on the bed.

* * *

It was December when Talia and Dogmeat headed northeast, in the direction of _the office_, where she was to now collect and turn in her own contracts.

The route was barren, and Talia practised singing at Dogmeat to pass the time and ignore her nerves. At some point, her Pip Boy blipped to let her know it had detected a radio signal. She tuned in and slowed to a halt as the human voice between the automated signal markers eventually registered in her mind.

_"__**This is an automated distress message from Vault-Tec Vault 101. Message begins:**_

_'It feels like you left home a long time ago, but I know you're still out there. I just hope you're still alive to hear this._

_Things got worse after you left. The new Overseer is insane. If you can hear this, please stop looking for your dad and help save us._

_I changed the door password to my name. If you're hearing this, and you still care enough to help me, you should remember it.'_

_**Message repeats:**__" _

Dogmeat swiftly cleaned up the brahmin jerky that fell out of Talia's hand. _Amata_.


	14. Mirrors

_Author note: _Thanks to the kind reviewer recently! I admit this is not my primary site now so have not left notes at all, but I am happy to see people reading/following. There is not a lot of Burke fanfic around, but rest assured I intend to finish this. Thank you for reading. :)

* * *

Amata held her head in her hands, behind the privacy screen in the corner of the clinic, and very quietly let out a long breath. After Beatrice had taken her last, the silence would have been unsettling, had Andy not broken it immediately.

"_Oh dear. I'm afraid the amputation was not successful. Well, better luck next time!" _

The old machine was a liability, but new Overseer Allen Mack had reassigned it as the Vault medic after James left and Jonas was… murdered. It had already failed to save Paul from his radroach wounds the night of the disaster, and now it had killed Beatrice in its baffling attempt at treating her sprained toe. What would take down her and the other rebels first? Security with their guns, or Andy with his malpractice?

She had calmed the others and sealed off the blood soaked surgery for now. She had tried again and again to talk to the Overseer. Apparently he couldn't see the Vault was doomed if they remained isolated from the outside world. They needed to open the doors, to trade, to meet new people- to get a new _doctor_. She was running out of ideas that would prevent anyone else getting hurt. Her last, slim hope, was that Talia had heard her message and would come. She'd been outside, perhaps the Overseer would listen to her. If she was still alive.

For now, she had to stop the rest of the rebels freaking out or trying something violent.

"Amata." She heard Butch call for her from the doorway. She wiped her eyes before standing tall and emerging from behind the screen. "You'll never guess who's here."

He returned to the end of the hall where the young _Tunnel Snake_ was standing guard (his gang's muscle and stolen weapons were the only thing keeping Security at bay for now, but she felt crooked for relying on them all the same), and into his place stepped a face she hadn't seen for months, except in her nightmares.

"Oh my God, you're back! You got my message and actually came back!" Her joy at the ray of hope stood in front of her briefly overpowered her grief, anger, confusion, but she resisted hugging her friend. At least she hoped they were still friends.

"Well… I was in the neighbourhood, so I thought I'd stop by," Talia answered characteristically drolly. Though her face painted a different picture.

"I missed your sense of humour, but I really don't think this is the time for jokes," Amata chastised. Just like old times.

"I can see that. I came as soon as I heard your message."

She looked… _different._ For one, she was covered in guns. She was wearing green fatigues, a heavy leather jacket, and a layer of worryingly luminous dust. Her hair was longer, though surprisingly stylish for someone who otherwise could have walked out of a post-apocalyptic action movie. But it was her stance, her confidence, her seasoned expression and the acuity in her eyes that suggested she'd been gone a lot longer than three months.

"Thank you," Amata cried sincerely. Talia rubbed the back of her neck and motioned for her accompanying dog to sit down. "Everything's gone crazy since you left, but now you're back you can help set things straight."

"Why would you want my help?" Talia looked uncertain, and Amata noticed her glance around the room, eyes resting on Christine before looking down. She realised she was standing in a room with two people whose fathers she had killed when she… escaped.

"Come on, I'll explain." Amata led her down the corridor to the empty classroom. She explained how after she left, the chaos combined with a radroach attack and fires left so many dead or injured. Mack was appointed Overseer, and he proceeded to lock down the Vault for everyone's 'safety'. Even though a lot of people now wanted to have the choice to go outside, many people blamed Talia and her father for the deaths that night.

"But that's not the whole story! Those people died because my father was trying to keep the door closed. But then I found out it was all to protect a lie. I found out that the Vault wasn't always closed. They've lied to us about it for our entire lives!" She bashed her fists on the table before reigning in her anger and sitting back in her chair.

Talia leant forward, eyes burning. "What? How did you find that out?"

"After that night, I heard Wally's father say we should never have taken you and your father into the Vault. For some reason they closed it off when we were babies and swore to hide that it had ever happened."

"Fucking liar," Talia muttered to herself.

"And even though we all know the truth now," Amata continued," the Overseer still won't let us make our own decisions. We just want to open the Vault, like it used to be."

"My fucking dad caused all of this mess," Talia spat.

Amata snapped forward again. "Your dad didn't kill Jonas. Your dad didn't lock down the Vault. Your dad isn't the one keeping us from leaving!" Talia started, and Amata felt a little bad for shouting.

"My dad abandoned all of us Amata," Talia began quietly. "I found him, you know. He decided _all_ of us weren't worth the effort, and he left for… an easier life."

Amata was stunned, but she didn't show it. "Well, at least the wasteland didn't kill him."

Talia looked down and nodded into her lap. "If I could do it differently, Amata…"

"But you can't," she interrupted quietly, blinking the image of her father's body from her mind's eye. She wasn't sure if she had forgiven Talia for it, but she thought she could understand. "All our parents were in on it. My father closed off the Vault and lied to me my whole life too. Jonas died because of him. I doubt he would have handled this much differently."

They sat in silence for a few moments until Talia spoke again. "Well… the least I can do is help out now. But why don't you just leave?"

"It's not that simple. We want to stay, this is our home, but we need to go outside to get supplies to keep the Vault running, meet people to keep us going. Since you left, some of us started thinking the outside is nothing to be afraid of anymore. Though, by the looks of you, we might be wrong."

Talia snorted somewhat bitterly. "It's not exactly safe… but it's worth it. So... what do you need me to do?"

Amata sighed, reassured in her convictions. "Just- talk to the Overseer. He has to listen to you. You've been outside, so you've got first hand experience."

Talia considered it for a moment, which was new. Amata usually had to hold her back from jumping in too deep. "Alright. I'll see if I can _reason _with him."

Amata flinched as Talia stood, reaching across the table. "Please, don't do anything… rash."

Talia smiled sourly. "You know violence isn't my style Amata. Don't worry."

Amata couldn't tell if she was joking anymore. "Maybe he has a reason. Please, we've already had too many deaths." She gripped the table as Talia left, silently cursing herself. Was this a bad idea?

* * *

Talia left Amata with a bitter allusion to her previous actions in the Vault. She almost felt bad, but she couldn't fathom why Amata would call for her, really. She'd killed her dad. No one could be that good hearted, could they? She stood shoulder to shoulder with her in there about how all their parents had betrayed them, but Talia wasn't sure she bought it. Talia was useful to Amata. She always had been. Don't get her wrong, it touched her to see Amata so happy she was back. They'd almost joked around like old times. But she had always been the Overseer's daughter. Although now they were more alike than she realised, another kid the Overseer hated. Amata had killed Mack's son, after all.

Talia wanted to smile. Sit back and laugh, and wait to see what perfect Amata did with the situation. But she felt that same similarity too hard. Amata lost her dad and her innocence that night, too. Now, even without her elevated status, she was leading a coup and so far keeping both the peace and the moral high ground. The others here were really looking up to her. It was the only course of action that could save the Vault population. Amata had already done so much.

What had she done since that night?

With her help, the coup might actually succeed. She brushed some of the radioactive dust from her jacket. The whole area surrounding Vault 101 was blanketed in thick green smog, the aftermath of Megaton. She was surprised it had persisted so long, but then, she really knew nothing about atomic weapons. Then, she'd entered the Vault to find a fresh body. Barricades, tension, heartbreak. It was surreal to walk back through the places that had made her what she was today. She wondered if other contract killers ever had to face the consequences of their work. If they cared. Her mind drifted to Burke, as she had awoken on his couch some weeks ago, him sleeping like a baby…

Butch interrupted her as she passed him. "So you gonna help us, short stuff?"

Older memories surfaced as his brash, infuriatingly charming accent caressed her ears. "Why would I want to help you, Butch?" she asked coldly.

Butch coughed before smiling in that cockeyed way of his. "Look, I know I've been kind of a jerk. But I don't deserve to be stuck down here forever. Not when I could have a real life up there, like you. I mean, you're kind of a jerk sometimes, and you make it work up there. So why not me?"

She raised her eyebrows at his wonky compliment.

"Just make it so we can leave the Vault, and I can go out there for my new life. Hell, maybe we could form a gang, huh?"

Talia sighed, thinking of the chemmed-up gangs she and Burke had avoided in their travels. "You have no idea how many gangs of idiot Raiders are already out there."

Butch didn't pause. He even grinned. "Well, they ain't seen nothing like me yet. Butch is gonna take that wasteland by storm!"

Talia hated herself for it, but she couldn't help but smirk. Her voice softened a little. "Why do you wanna get out so badly?"

Butch raised his hands, exasperated. "Because anything up there has gotta be better than a lifetime down here. Think about it, doll! Down here I'll be stuck with the same job, same food, same people. _Forever._" He nudged her shoulder. "You and your dad had the right idea. Get out of this pit, and make your own life."

She smiled at his words and shook her head at her own fickle heart. That was why she'd liked Butch. Big ideas, not settling for his lot. "No one has put it like that so far… thanks."

He shuffled awkwardly, looking back along the corridor. "Yeah, well… here's to raisin' hell." He winked like he used to, but Talia just scrunched her nose and turned away. She wouldn't fall for that. Again.

_To the Overseer's office. Again._

* * *

Talia found Allen Mack standing by his office window overlooking the atrium. An assault rifle hung over his back. He turned at the sound of the door.

"Well, look at who came crawling back home? What's the matter? Homesick? Outside not everything it was cracked up to be? Or was it just that Daddy didn't want you anymore?

"Too bad. You're not wanted here. You're scum."

Talia took a deep breath. She wouldn't succumb this time. "Hold on. I'm just here to talk…"

Mack narrowed his eyes. "Really? Because you weren't here to _talk _with the last Overseer. That's why I'm in charge now. So you'll excuse me if I don't trust you."

_Touché._

He continued. "Now I'll make this easy for you. You can walk away and let me handle the Vault, or I can put you down like a rabid dog. Your choice, kid."

She returned his glare. She didn't doubt his sincerity- not after seeing how his son relished the order to beat Amata- but maybe her reputation would precede her. "I just want to know why you don't want to open the Vault? It seems unavoidable to ensure the population doesn't die out."

"Most of these people will just get themselves killed out there. You know that better than anyone. But down here, they've got a safe life."

"That's just what my dad said, but I did alright."

"Well, I'm in charge. And like the GOAT said, '_to whom do we owe everything, including our lives?_' The Overseer. And that's me," he gloated. He was clearly too wrapped up in his own power and hatred to see the obvious.

"Just be reasonable," Talia said as calmly as she could manage. "Not everyone has to go out, just those willing to get supplies. I heard the support systems are struggling, and there aren't _enough_ of us to keep going much longer anyway." Talia looked into his eyes and realised he hadn't heard a word she'd said. But his glare had gotten white hot.

"You know what? I heard the last Overseer tried being reasonable, and you killed him for his efforts."

"Are you fucking kidding me! People were already dead, he had _your _son beating his own daughter!" Talia protested fiercely, but he raised his voice over hers.

"I think I'll skip being reasonable and just kill you now." He began to unsling his rifle.

Talia couldn't believe this was happening again. She had wanted to do it differently. She wanted to help. She shook her head as he wrapped his hand around the rifle's grip. Her own unholstered her pistol. Part of her wanted to wait for him to take the first shot. As if it would absolve her in some way. But Burke had taught her better than that. And she'd been sliced up like sushi already- she had no intention of sampling life as a swiss cheese.

* * *

Amata let Talia talk to some people in the Vault before discussing what happened. She knew Mack more than likely couldn't be reasoned with. He was so full of hate since that night. He took over in a heartbeat, practically cleared her out of her quarters before her father's body was even cold. But she had really hoped her old friend would see something she hadn't. Regardless, so many people still blamed Talia and James for everything, that even if she had talked Mack down, she knew how this had to end. She wrung her hands while Talia left Old Lady Palmer, Jonas' grandmother, with a hug.

"Talia, I have something for you. I found it on Jonas' body the night you left. It's addressed to you." She handed Talia a holodisk. "I should have given it to you earlier, I'm sorry, I was just so worried about the lockdown situation I completely forgot about it…"

Talia turned it over in her hands a few times and swallowed, then tucked it into her jacket. "Mack wouldn't listen," she said.

If she didn't want to talk about it, at least that would make this easier. "I see… that's terrible, but I guess it had to be done."

Talia scoffed softly, then raised her head. "That's the way these things go sometimes." Her steely eyes told Amata she had already swept it into the past. No use worrying over what was done, she agreed silently.

"I suppose… some of the people are saying I should be the new Overseer. It's all so sudden." She wrung her hands again. It felt like revolution.

Talia cocked her head to one side. "And she's right back up." Amata frowned, but Talia just shook her head, almost laughing. "I'm sorry it had to end that way. Really. But for what it's worth, the Vault can have a real leader now."

Amata looked at Talia gratefully. She had always backed her up, but perhaps more importantly, knocked her down a peg if she needed it. Amata had always been aware that to many she was just The Overseer's Daughter, so she had to work hard to counter her image of superiority and be seen for who she really was. Except with Talia.

"Thank you… I'm sure you did everything you could, I know how stubborn he… was," she tried to assuage the guilt for assuming Talia was some sort of cold blooded killer earlier. She tried to clear the tightness in her chest, keeping her voice steady. "That makes the rest of this even harder."

Talia turned away and ran a hand down her face. "I've got a bad feeling I know where this is going…"

Amata took a breath and continued resolutely. "You saved us. But that doesn't change the fact that you killed one of us to do it, and I can't let that sort of thing stand here." _Hypocrite._ "I guess it's a bit familiar. You've already been forced out of the Vault once before. At least now you know what's out there." _Small consolation._ "I'm sorry. You're a hero... and you have to leave." _Traitor._

She almost laughed at her final words. She meant each part, but they sounded like some kind of sick joke when put together.

Surprisingly, Talia was speechless. She just looked around the room and began to nod. She beckoned her dog. Amata walked away and busied herself at the other end of the clinic, turning only to see the pair disappear into the corridor.

_I'll miss you._

* * *

Talia wrestled an old tibia from Dogmeat and gave it back to its unfortunate original owner. As she watched the hatch to Vault 101 close on her again, this time forever, she wondered if the person who once possessed the skeleton that now lay in the entranceway had watched the same scene. Were they expelled at a time when the Vault was open to the world? Or were they a more recent failed asylum seeker?

Didn't matter. Maybe she would run into someone on the outside in the future, but for now, she had played her part for Amata. Mack was blind to reason. Amata could expel the killer and they could all move forward without arguing over who to blame. It wouldn't make up for what she did to her that night, but she found some solace in knowing she'd helped her friend alter the trajectory of the Vault for the better.

She remembered the holodisk Amata gave her. She sat down in the tunnel and put it in her Pip Boy.

It was the voice of her dad.

"_Hold on Jonas, I need to record this first._

"_I don't really know how to tell you this. I hope you'll understand, but I know you might be angry. I thought about it for a long time, but in the end I decided it was best for you not to know. So many things could have gone wrong, and there's really no telling how the Overseer will react when he finds out. It's best if he can blame everything on me. _

"_Obviously, you already know that I'm gone. It was something I needed to do. You're an adult now. You're ready to be on your own. Maybe someday, things will change and we can see each other again. I can't tell you why I left or where I'm going. I don't want you to follow me. God knows life in the Vault isn't perfect, but at least you'll be safe. Just knowing that will be enough to keep me going."_

Jonas interrupted at this point, before her dad wrapped it up.

"_Don't mean to rush you, Doc, but I'd feel better if we got this over with."_

"_Okay. Go ahead… Goodbye. I love you."_

She stopped the recording and frowned, petting Dogmeat who was investigating the source of the sound with his nose. They killed Jonas before he could give her the disk, and she never found it in her rush to get out. It didn't explain much, but it didn't make sense that he would record this, that Jonas would risk his life, if he was just leaving to hide in another Vault. Maybe the hours he and Jonas spent together in the clinic, late at night, were connected somehow?

She cursed him for being so vague, despite the logic. It was simple to be angry at him and write him out of her new life. But this… raised questions.

She sighed and got up. She would think about it more back at the tower. Work could wait. She should get out of this radioactive fog, not to mention she was fairly sure she'd just sat down on a pile of the first skeleton's rather scattered acquaintance.

Visibility was poor, and her attention drifted back to Amata, and her dad. Was the fog actually roaring in her ears, or was it a memory of the detonation? So she didn't notice, on emerging from the affected zone, the lone man waiting in the middle of the old road.

He stopped her as amicably as is possible when brandishing an assault rifle and a stench you could taste. He threw a snack to Dogmeat and began in a voice as rough as he looked and as slimy as he also looked. "Hey you, c'mere. Slowly. You're no caravan, so you better hope what you got is quality over quantity." He shook his head as she reached for her weapon. "I've taken down traders _and _their guards. It's easier to just hand it over, believe me."

Dogmeat, apparently starved by his previous owner, left Talia's side in search of further handouts. "And don't even think about settin' this dog on me." The man beckoned the dog and waved his left hand in the air, revealing he was clutching a grenade. His dishevelled beard parted into a wide, yellow-toothed, utterly insane grin. "Or we'll both go bye bye."

Though Talia knew insanity to be answer enough, she still questioned this man's rationale.

"Maybe I just had enough o' this god damn wasteland," he answered manically. "Maybe I just really, really, need a fuckin' drink, after the last three guys through here carried sweet fuck all, huh?"

_Shit_. She didn't even have any booze to placate this guy. As if reading her mind, he took a sudden turn. "Though, little thing like you, maybe you got somethin' else to take my mind off this god damn shithole, huh?"

She had to admit, she didn't have a plan for dealing with suicidal highwaymen. She backed up while wracking her brains for a way out. But as he got closer, his expression changed from one of wild hunger to something like study. "Wait a minute… I know you. You're that vault asshole!" He looked into the green cloud behind her. "Yeah! The vault is that way. It's you. So, you finally showed up!"

Talia wasn't sure she preferred this new focus of his. "Do I know you?"

"No. But I know you. You pissed off that prick Moriarty, I don't even remember when. But he pointed you out to me when I was tryna get drunk one day. Told me to track you down and teach you a lesson, outta town." His insane grin returned. "And now you're finally here."

Moriarty? Then he was from Megaton. "And you are?"

"Pissed off," he replied glibly, "but you can call me Jericho. While I was out lookin' for you, Megaton went up in smoke. _I must have a guardian angel_, I thought. Well, the fuckin' security at Rivet City is tighter than a cat's ass and about as fuckin' clean.

"So I thought, _it's a sign for me to hit the road again_. Been decent pickings hittin' all the caravans that didn't get the memo about Megaton. But it ain't the same, and I ain't had a bar to call home in months. But you- aah, now you can take me to wherever you're holed up."

"I can what?" Talia choked.

"You're obviously doin' well for yourself out here. Just take me to where you live and get me a seat at the bar. Rumour has it you owe me one, bein' as it was you who wiped out those bastards back there.

"Or- I can blow you and your mutt to pieces." He waggled the grenade again.

Well, there was no harm in taking a walk, she thought. At least not when the alternative involved taking a leap in several different directions at once. "You make a convincing argument, Mr. Jericho. This way."


	15. Playing With The Boys

Talia used the intercom at the tower gate. It was Johnny, and he was pissing around. "Just open up already!" she snapped.

"Alright, keep ya panties on." The gate hummed open and Talia moved carefully toward it.

"Don't fuck me around," Jericho reminded her, muzzle pressing into her back. He stopped her just short of the threshold. "I ain't goin' in there til I got a deal, ya hear?" She nodded and called Johnny over.

"Whoa, who are you?" He raised a hand to stop them. "I can't let this guy in Tal."

"Yeah I know. It's just an… old friend," Talia said. "Get Burke would you?"

"He don't look friendly…" Johnny began, but Jericho interrupted.

"You heard the lady. Now keep your nose out of it kid, and go get your boss."

Talia gave him a pleading look, but instead he raised his rifle and called out the gun he spotted Jericho holding. The other security guards rushed to the gate, and Talia found herself looking down the barrel of far more guns than she'd like. Given that _one_ was already more than desirable, she couldn't say she was happy about this development.

When she'd finished articulating exactly how she felt about the current situation, Johnny was blushing as he called Gustavo on the radio.

Meanwhile, Jericho had moved the gun to her head and had somehow managed to shield his larger form behind hers.

"Will you all calm down and just get Burke before I get shot with my own gun!" she pleaded.

"I think I got a clean shot Tali, just hold still," Grayson called.

"You do fucking not have a clean shot, don't you dare. Please just _get Burke!_"

Jericho snarled at them by her ear. "I see any one of your fingers twitchin' and I blow her head off, y'hear?"

"They hear," Talia assured him, glowering at them all. "_Right?_"

Gustavo arrived at a run and assessed the situation with a swift, discerning glance. "Alright boys, hold your fire. What's goin' on?"

"This is Mr. Jericho," Talia answered for them. "I'd really like for him to speak to Burke. It's just business. There's really no need for all these guns to be pointed at him, and by a temporary coincidence of geography- _me_."

"Smart kid," Jericho growled.

"I'll tell you how we do business around here," Gustavo commented gruffly. "You lower your weapon, and we don't shoot you in the head."

"Think I'm gonna believe a merc? I think I'll keep my insurance here."

"You shoot her and you're dead. Not much of an insurance if you ask me."

Talia shook her head. "He doesn't seem too put off by that idea, Gustavo. Could I interest you in not testing it out though?"

Burke finally arrived at the scene then, and asked what was going on.

"Don't make me fuckin' explain myself again," Jericho groaned.

"Actually I explained, but you guys do have the whole story now to be honest," Talia concurred. Did they have any concept of how much she'd like to avoid irritating the guy with a gun to her head?

Burke stepped in front of the guards, gesturing for them to hold their fire. She'd never been so happy to see him. He looked directly at Jericho, not even blinking at the whole scene. "Jericho- I'd say it's a pleasure, but we find ourselves in rather an unpleasant situation. Welcome to Tenpenny Tower. I am Mr. Burke. I can deal with whatever business it is you think you have here, if you'll just release our friend. We're not savages, I'm sure you'll agree there's no reason we can't discuss things like businessmen."

"I can see about seven reasons we can't do that, huh?"

Burke peered behind him at the guards keeping him in their sights. "Chief, do you think we can show a little more _hospitality_ to our guest here?" Gustavo returned a quick nod and stood his men down. Burke turned back to Jericho. "A gesture of goodwill. Now, you have something I want, and I have something you want. Perhaps we can make a trade."

"I want in to this tower. I just want to sit down and have a drink. 'Our friend' here destroyed the last place I used to do that, so it's only fair. Ain't that right?" he prodded Talia for an answer.

"Yes! I agree. It's a reasonable request Burke. I don't mind. I owe him really. And we've already got one drun… we've already got Michael who barely ever leaves the bar. Maybe they can be friends." She laughed hopefully.

After a second Burke's eyes flashed with recognition. "Oh I see... Megaton? Why didn't you say right away? It was nothing personal Jericho, I hope you understand. Come in and let's discuss… compensation." Burke ushered the guards aside and welcomed Jericho into the courtyard, Talia stumbling along in front. "You know, I believe we may have actually met."

"Really?" Jericho said sceptically.

"Yes, in the bar run by our deceased friend Colin Moriarty." He said the name with just enough distaste to draw Jericho into agreement.

"No shit. Well, at least the rat bastard can't collect my tab, ha!"

Burke smiled and stopped walking, gesturing to Talia who was still in the man's grasp. "Please, is this really necessary? It's rather distracting to be honest."

Talia heard Jericho grumble, debating the situation with himself. "Eh, fuck it. I'm keepin' the weapons though."

"As you wish."

He shoved Talia sideways away from him. She scrambled to keep her footing and ran to Gustavo. He checked she was okay before pushing her behind him and watching the situation. She could sense it wasn't over.

She couldn't hear what they were saying, but Jericho's body language relaxed and the pair laughed together about something. She saw their arms extend and meet in a handshake, then before she knew what happened Jericho was on his knees, arm twisted painfully behind his back. Security was on him before he could draw with his opposite hand, stripping him of all weapons. Burke stepped away. The men formed a circle.

"Nice work boys!" Gustavo called. The clouds seemed to grow darker. Burke approached. Behind him, the circle began to take turns beating every curse word Jericho knew out of him.

"Don't kill him yet Gustavo," Burke said once in earshot. Gustavo nodded and headed over to his men, telling them with a chuckle to drop the rate of fire. The guy laying into him with his boot sent in one last kick and backed off.

Talia had been about ready to kiss Burke. She doubted she'd have come out of that alive if he hadn't been around. But a cold was creeping over her body. She shouldn't be surprised that these guys' sense of justice was far from Amata's. It was just quite a switch to go through in a day, and she got the sense she was seeing them in their element for the first time. This wasn't only justice, but entertainment.

"Thank you," she croaked, watching the grisly scene.

"He's from Megaton," Burke stated, ignoring her.

She dragged her eyes up to him. "So he says."

"I can confirm it. You have unfinished business, wouldn't you say?"

"What?"

"He was supposed to go in the blast along with everyone else. You need to finish the job." He returned her handgun to her. "It's what you were paid to do."

Talia looked at the gun, then at Burke, an ache forming at the back of her throat. "I… I was paid to rig the bomb. It's not my fault he went for a walk."

Burke laughed sourly. "You were paid to wipe that town off the map. He is part of that town. Now, go finish the job." He wasn't asking.

Talia looked at the circle of men jeering over the bloodied heap that could, for now, still be called Jericho. "What… right now?"

Burke nodded.

She swallowed with difficulty.

"The man was ready to kill you for the sake of a drink Tali," Burke snapped, losing his cool. "Call it revenge if that makes you feel better about it."

But Talia didn't want revenge. Let him drink in the bar, throw him out to the wastes, she didn't care. She did know that she really wasn't one of Gustavo's. She had no appetite for their brand of entertainment. But shooting him now… "I'm not a fucking executioner," she declared.

Burke snorted so loud a few heads turned. "But you are. Have you forgotten your line of work?"

She hadn't. Even people that didn't know seemed to know. "No... but this is fucked."

"Then end it. _Like you were paid to._" All pretense of reason had gone. This was a direct order. But Talia wasn't a soldier. She holstered her pistol and raised her voice.

"No. I was paid to rig the bomb, which I did. This is _fucked_."

The men were all watching. Burke strained to keep his voice low. "You were paid to do what I told you, and I'm telling you now to remove this miserable excuse of a wastelander from the gene pool."

"And I'm telling you I'm not going to!"

Burke took a sidelong glance at the men. "You're going to defy me, out here?"

"I guess so."

He shrugged at the men and made his way over, calling back to her. "Since Talia makes the rules now, tell us, how's he going to go? Fast or slow?"

Her cheeks burned as Burke made her the centre of attention. "What?"

He turned to her from the group. "How's he going to go? The men here will be happy to clear up after you, or if you feel so strongly about it, perhaps you'd like him put out of his misery?"

She stared through wet eyes. _This was so fucked_. "Fine, just fucking end it, then I don't have to listen to you go on about Megaton anymore." She tried desperately to gulp down the burning sensation in her throat and remain angry under all these eyes.

Burke turned without a hitch. "You hear that Jericho? It's your lucky day."

Jericho spat out a few words along with a mouthful of blood. "My lucky day woulda been if fuckin' Moriarty had let me drink in peace, instead of makin' me chase the vault asshole. Coulda gone out with the nuke instead of here, with you dumb fucks. Fuck him, and fuck all of you."

Burke put a bullet in his head, the suppressor marking the moment with a mere whisper compared to an unmoderated gun. Despite this, Talia jumped. She stared at the lifeless heap that, just an hour earlier, was complaining about the wind and a grim cough while escorting her across the wasteland, albeit at gunpoint.

The men muttered amongst themselves as Burke left them to deal with the body. He was heading back to Talia, and she didn't need eyes to see he was pissed. She could feel it, like static in a thunderstorm. Common sense should have told her to run, but hers must have wandered off with Dogmeat. She watched him approach like a deer in headlights.

"Come with me," he growled, grabbing her unceremoniously by the arm and dragging her to the lobby.

Talia stumbled along in a state of shock for a few seconds before pulling against his grasp. "Get off me! You can't do this, who do you think you are!"

Burke whirled in front of her. "I may as well be God. Do you remember where you are? There's no rule book here, I can do as I please. You think you have some right to speak to me like that at all, let alone in front of the entire security? You do not. Now shut up and walk. Or kick and scream, it makes no difference to me." He turned and continued toward the elevator.

"Ow- Burke, that hurts," she complained, but he ignored her.

It seemed Dogmeat, while patrolling the lobby, had finally realised what his duties as a guard dog involved, because he appeared in front of them both, hackles raised, threatening Burke with a deep bark.

"Get lost, dog!" Burke snapped, but it had no effect. Dogmeat growled harder when he tried to take a step forward. Burke sighed irately. "Stand down this dog, now."

"He's protecting me," Talia grumbled.

Burke whipped her round to face him. "Do it. Or do I have to shoot the dog as well?"

All her resistance evaporated instantly. She jumped between Burke and Dogmeat, heart racing. "No, no, Burke, please, you wouldn't?" She looked at him pleadingly, panic rising. She had no other words. She didn't want to believe he might do it. So she just implored him with her face, clinging to hope, as flimsy a raft as it was for dealing with Burke- a man of _reason._

He glared back at her for what seemed an age. Finally though, she noticed his features soften a fraction, even if no one else would have recognised it. "Just leave it down here," he ordered.

"Dogmeat, stay." Talia breathed a sigh of relief before she was steered into the elevator.

The ride was tense.

"'_He', _not '_it'," _she muttered after a minute, which was incidentally also when she wondered if she was a masochist.

Burke looked down at her incredulously. Mercifully the elevator _binged_ and the doors opened. Talia's feet moved of their own accord.

Burke directed her to her suite, looming close behind. She focussed on not fumbling her key, unlocking the door somewhat hesitantly.

"Good afternoon, madame! And sir!" Godfrey chirped in excitement as they entered. "May I-?"

"Not now, robot." Burke interrupted.

"Very good, sir." Godfrey span on his thruster and extricated himself to the bathroom.

Burke swung the door closed, the bang causing Talia to start. She turned to him, backing directly away to the side of her bed.

"There are already rumours circulating about what is happening to you in this room," Burke stated matter of factly. He let the statement hang.

Talia shifted uncomfortably.

He continued. "Partly thanks to your scene downstairs. Why? What is going through your mind? For that matter, why didn't you kill that filthy raider before he got anywhere near you?"

"We…" She paused. He wasn't interested in hearing excuses, however debilitating the nuclear smog was to her and Dogmeat's senses. "He got the drop on me…" she answered, slightly ashamed.

Burke let out an unimpressed sigh and began pacing, his anger clearly simmering just below the surface but mixed with something else. "Then you bring him here, for what? To insult me? To show me how insubordinate you are and force me to deal with you? I don't-" He cut himself off, pacing once more.

Talia frowned. "What was I supposed to do? I just don't see why it mattered what happened to him." _Why it mattered more than me._ He hadn't even asked if she was okay.

"It mattered Talia," Burke said after a second. He seemed to find a second wind and replaced the scowl he was wearing downstairs. "That bomb was supposed to take out everything and everyone to do with that town. You dare _question_ me when I tell you the job is still incomplete? What use are you to me if you're going to second guess the instructions I give you?"

"What _use _am I?" Talia repeated, her anger flooding back. "I never asked to be your attack dog, Burke. I'm just trying to fucking survive. I don't know what you think I am. Maybe you should hang out more with Dogmeat instead of me. If you can stop yourself from shooting him."

Burke closed the distance between them in a second. "Such insolence," he hissed, inches from her face. "After all I've done for you, you dare throw it back in my face?"

"I'll throw whatever I want, I don't owe you every person that ever looked at Megaton."

She gaped in disbelief as Burke grasped her arm and pushed her back until she hit her jukebox. "_You- owe- me- everything. _I am _not _dear old daddy, Talia. I'm not just going to disappear. I'll still be here tomorrow, and the day after. You _will _have to answer to me. You play by my rules here."

Talia scowled at what she felt a low blow as Burke backed off. She crept forward. "I thought there was no rule book?" she goaded, for reasons that escaped her.

Burke snapped around, temper bright in his eyes. "_I_ _am _the rule book. If you've any sense left you'll do as I say, when I say. And you'll get that lip in check. It does you no favours."

Talia glared back at him. This was all too familiar. Some household despot ordering her around, threatening her, demanding obedience. Well, this wasn't the Vault. She was a free woman.

She folded her arms and took a breath. "You don't own me, Burke. I'll pay my way, but I've done your dirty work. You don't get to order me around like a puppet."

To Talia's surprise, Burke began laughing. Darkly, smoothly. Her cheeks burned. Was he mocking her?

"My dear girl," Burke purred after he had gathered himself. His face dropped back to its usual sincerity, and he bent down so his eyes were level with hers. "I certainly _do _own you. I plucked you out of that wasteland where, you _may _remember," he tapped a finger on her temple a few times, "you would have perished from exposure, starvation, or violence… _O__r,_ you may have survived a little longer by selling yourself to every wastelander that came through that rusty old shack, until you either overdosed or topped yourself. Remember?"

He stood tall again, straightening his jacket. "But, I saved you from this fate. I even offered you the opportunity to take revenge on him, the one who would have effectively enslaved you. The one who withheld a simple piece of information on your only living blood relative. The information which I extracted for you, remember?"

Talia looked down as he recounted the ways she was in his debt.

"Now, was the pay not enough? Is this penthouse suite not to your satisfaction? The private military that protects you as you sleep at night? The pure water that flows through your pipes? If this isn't _enough_ for a lone girl in the wasteland, do tell me."

Talia said nothing.

Burke tilted her face up with a finger under the chin. "Look at me when I'm talking to you," he said quietly. "I put you into this tower. I can put you back in the wastes, if it pleases you."

Like it always used to do at the most _delicate_ moments, as if her improvement over the past months was just a dream, her mouth ran off before she could wrangle it. "Fine. Throw me out. You'd miss me."

Burke's expression morphed from one of smug satisfaction to utter consternation. Slowly his hand dropped away, settling around the lapel of her jacket. In a low, measured voice, he responded. "I advise you to think very carefully about whether you really wanted to say that. It would be a grave error of judgement to believe I am not sincere. I'll give you a chance to reconsider_."_

Talia held his gaze, face only inches from his. She wanted to tell him to shove it. But she'd had enough excitement for one day without testing his limits right now. She also knew, begrudgingly, he was right. But she wasn't going to submit and lose this game of his. And honestly, that look he just gave her told her she'd got under his skin, and she got a huge kick out of it.

Jaw resolute, she said nothing, gaze not wavering. He was certainly trying to intimidate her into an apology, a quivering, supplicant request for forgiveness. Yet like the day she met him, she felt no fear. Some trepidation, sure (she wasn't a moron). But unlike that day, now she felt she knew him, just enough. Just enough to read something in his eyes that convinced her he was bluffing. The corner of her mouth curled ever so slightly.

She saw a change in him then. Something flickered behind his pupils. He pulled her closer, almost imperceptibly, but she felt it, felt his grip tighten on her jacket, felt her own heart quicken and swore she could hear his. His eyes dropped to her lips. Her breath hitched in her throat as something hung there in the air between them, mixed with all the anger and frustration and contention, and she wondered if this had been about Megaton or behaviour at all. Mega-what? She'd forgotten all about it. She studied his face, but it gave nothing away, focussed intently on hers as if studying her back. Her gaze graced his lips and she thought about leaning in, just a few impossible inches. How would he react? Would she taste nothing but the fury that dragged her up here, or the desire she thought she sometimes glimpsed?

What was she thinking? After that situation outside? She'd be mad to still love him. Wouldn't she? She rested a hand on the arm that held her. The timid option. It had only shown up after she met him. It seemed to stir him. He met her eyes again, exhaled, and released her with a short, sharp jerk, sending her falling backward onto the bed.

A squeal escaped her as she hit the mattress. Her breaths came heavy, not having noticed she'd been holding it. Heat rose in her cheeks, feeling only partly humiliated at being tossed aside like a ragdoll… the other part was new. Then she realised he hadn't moved, and she was burning up in her jacket. He looked down on her, she saw his eyes trail down from her jawbone, felt them trace along every contour of her body. They travelled all the way down while she lay a statue, and came back up, toward her eyes that hadn't left his face, trying to discern the thoughts that occupied him.

_It's not rocket science, _she thought, biting her lip. He met her gaze and her breath hitched again, while her mind and body wrestled over the answer to the question of whether she hoped he would join her. But he broke away. She sighed flatly, pulling back the jacket that had fallen off her shoulder in the tumble.

Burke stepped away, running a hand down the side of his face.

Talia shuffled to the edge of the bed while her heart began to slow.

Burke hovered by the door briefly. "I'll see you later."

"I… that's all?..." She didn't know what to say.

"I think we both know where you stand," he replied staidly after a pause. He let himself out.

Talia whipped off her jacket and flung herself back on the bed with a huff. "I wish you'd tell me," she muttered to the ceiling. She supposed that meant she won his little game, but it didn't feel any good. "What do you make of all that Godfrey?" she called back to the bathroom.

Godfrey drifted back into the room. "I think, there goes someone who needs a nice sit down and a cup of tea, madame."

Talia snorted.

"Among other things," he added under his breath.

* * *

Burke woke up much later than usual. She had occupied his thoughts well into the night. He was still angry. No, it was not that she refused or disrespected him anymore; it was that he couldn't punish her for it. She'd called his bluff when she goaded him to throw her out, and he both loved and hated her for it.

Quietly he admired her, how she held no fear around him, not like most others. A breath of fresh air. But now, realising he no longer possessed the ability to make good on his threats? She incensed and delighted him.

He'd recognised the satisfaction in her face as he failed to follow through, a flawless speech wasted, and he'd almost forgotten himself in a heady mix of chagrin and sudden desire. The project became a distant memory. He'd wanted her. He'd wanted to take that stubborn jaw in his hand and quiet that smart mouth with his. To grab those hands that had been fighting him downstairs, and show her body something other than all the battery it had endured since he'd met her.

But he'd wrestled the impulse, for he was angry, searching for a way to get her back in line, teetering on the edge of dormant thoughts now aflame. And she was… different. He didn't want to cross this line like this. She'd seemed genuinely rattled outside. Her temerity was her defence, and despite her past flirtatious remarks, the affection she bestowed on him most of the time, he'd realised he didn't want to scare her away.

Quite the opposite.

She'd touched his arm. Not clearly amorous. Defensive? He couldn't think straight. He couldn't resist. He pushed her away. She was infuriating. He watched her.

He saw her.

He drank her in. The breathing space hadn't changed anything. She didn't move. He could have had her then if he pleased; she never ran from him, and it made him want her more. He'd looked into her eyes, but in them he found little of the looks she gave him at the tower's parties.

He could have her but he wouldn't take her. So he'd taken his leave.

He was angry at himself, for allowing their dynamic to slip, for allowing himself to fall. It had been a long time since he felt powerless. In his youth he'd sworn never to be so again, and he hadn't. But this morning, the fraught atmosphere having faded, he'd be a damn liar (regardless that he was an exceptional liar- he could only lie to himself for so long) if he said he wasn't also excited. This wouldn't necessarily have to change things, but he would have to figure it out first.

He headed out without a coffee. He'd grab one from Margaret while he got started on the day, having brought forward his second cigarette of the morning. He almost missed her due to still being wrapped up in his thoughts. Talia and her dog were just locking up. She was kitted out for what looked like no insignificant trip. He stopped in his tracks.

"Going somewhere?"

She barely looked at him. "Yes."

He took several urgent drags while crossing the landing to her door. "Looks like a long trip?"

She shrugged. "Could be." _Maddening woman._

"Indeed. Where are you going? You didn't pack like this when you set out for the office yesterday."

She sighed and looked up at him with that infuriating lovely defiant jaw. "Does it matter?"

He sucked on his smoke. "It does to me."

She scoffed and shook her head, and he noticed how her hair moved, precisely how her brow furrowed, how even her irate smile was beautiful, and how easily she provoked his passions and furies.

"I'm not going to work. I'm doing something for myself. I don't know how long I'll be." She picked up her bag and made to walk away.

He set his hand on the corner of her porch, blocking her path. She halted, sighing rather dramatically, and dropped her pack at her feet. "What is it? Yesterday you were going to throw me out. Now I can't leave? What am I doing here? What do you want from me?"

He didn't have an answer.

She raised her eyebrows at his wordlessness and laughed coldly in his face. "Oh my God, you're actually speechless. You sure pick your moments."

He scowled as she resumed picking up her kit, ignorant of the hell he could rain upon her life for such disrespect.

Except he couldn't. And she knew it. And the knowledge drove him half mad.

"Is there something you want or can I go?" She stared past his arm, stoic as a bored soldier waiting to be dismissed.

There was a fire in his chest and his eyes seared a hole in her temple. He took a long, deep drag of his cigarette before he pulled back his arm from the wall, clearing the way for her to leave him. "Be my guest." He watched her get halfway to the elevator before turning away. He remembered the stairs were here somewhere.

* * *

Talia's eyes grew hotter with every step she took to the elevator. By the time the doors closed on her she couldn't stop the tears spilling over. She was kicking herself for being so rude. She knew he wouldn't take the insult well. But if he really gave a shit he would have stopped her. He would have answered her question.

She wiped her cheeks and tried to swallow the bitter pill she'd tasted yesterday. She was out of her depth. She was not cut from the same cloth as these men. Burke had picked the wrong girl… and she wondered if she'd picked the wrong man. But then something happened in her room (or rather, almost happened) and she was ready to sweep all those doubts away. But of course, he left. And not a hint that he even realised just now. She didn't know what she was to him anymore. She was confused. It was cruel. She should probably chalk it up to another poor judgment on her part and move on. It seemed obvious now she was foolish to hope he would feel the same, to believe he could.

She needed to get away for a while, to do something on her own (and perhaps go a day without being ordered to kill someone). She was going back to Vault 112 to figure out how to talk to her dad. There had to be enough documentation there to work out how to do it- it just might take a while.

The elevator opened to the lobby and she wiped her face once more before sidling over to Gustavo. "Hi Chief. Do you have my weapons from yesterday? I'm heading out." She tried not to look at him.

Gustavo looked up from an old issue of _Gardeners' Digest_. It was fascinating how much stuff used to grow before the war. "101… sure, they're in the armoury out back." She was missing something of her usual buoyancy. "Are you alright? Didn't see you anymore yesterday…" She seemed to be physically intact, so the ideas thrown around by his men after Burke dragged her away were all wrong (he'd collect that wager later).

"Yeah, fine, just wanna get going," she replied while looking everywhere but at him.

"Alright," he sniffed, opening his inventory book.

"Well alright, since you must know," she blurted as if he'd twisted her arm, squatting behind his desk beside him. He closed his book and turned in his seat. "It's Burke. He's unbelievable." Her expression was pained.

"What? What did he do to you?" He really thought the man didn't have it in him.

But the way she shook her head dispelled his concerns, and she looked down. "Nothing, that's… that's the problem." Well God damn, she must have picked up his guys' sense of humour because he was sure she was making a dirty joke. Except the punchline came out as a choked sob.

He soothed her with a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, easy. Look, I don't know what business you two have with each other, but I do know he cares about you… in his way." She shrugged in a humourless acknowledgement of his comment. "You don't see what I see," he reiterated.

She looked up at him and he could see she'd been crying. "Oh yeah? What did you see yesterday?" she asked coldly.

_Good question_. He'd wondered what exactly she did for Burke, since supply and mail runs hardly justified a VIP suite. But he'd known Burke long enough to conclude he preferred not to ask too many questions. He squeezed her shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up. That was…. that was not something I'd expect you to do, if I'm honest. You haven't been out here very long like we have. You should hold on to that."

She managed a smile in thanks before she was blindsided by her dog, licking at her face now she was down at his level. "You need to train that dog better, by the way. He should be ashamed he let you get frogmarched all the way here."

"I know, we've talked about this. But he's shameless, y'know?"

He knew who else fit that description. Despite just defending him, it seemed Burke had led Talia down the garden path. He'd given her a puppy for fuck's sake, and by the looks of it broken her heart in the last day. "What's goin' on 101? Where are you going?"

She looked down again and her voice wavered slightly. "I'm going to talk to my dad. I've been stupid, I thought- I just ran into him upstairs and…" she trailed off and flung her arm toward the elevator. "Look, he doesn't care."

"No, no," he rubbed her shoulder, "he does, he's just an asshole." She sort of sobbed in laughter again, resting her chin in her hands. "I'm sure he'll be down soon, let's just wait, you'll see."

They watched the elevator silently for several seconds. It was still at ground level. Gustavo cleared his throat. Any minute now and it would be called up to the penthouses, they just had to be patient.

Maybe the floor indicator was broken. Maybe the button upstairs was busted.

He started to think this was a bad idea as he had no idea what went through that man's head. He just thought it sounded like a nice thing to say. Yes, definitely a bad idea- Talia was sobbing now. Gustavo leant over and pulled her in for a hug. She fell into him, burying her face in his sleeve and clinging to his arm. Shit, he hadn't even seen her cry when she came in bleeding all over the place. Twice.

He bent his head, gently shushing her, and he heard the muffled words she passed quietly between them. They sounded like an apology. "I love him, Gustavo."

Damn, it was dusty in here. "I know you do, kid."

"Am I crazy?" she asked after a few more moments.

"Ha, a little, but aren't we all." She wiped her face as she calmed down and let go of him. He patted her arm. "Come on, just chill out for a few days. Shoot some shit with the guys, you'll feel better."

But she shook her head. "No, no… I found out I was wrong about my dad. Maybe I was wrong about this." She stood and fiddled with her sleeve. "Can you, uh, come with me to the armoury? It's kinda weird after yesterday…"

"Sure."

He checked her weapons were in good condition and that she was properly prepared for the trip before begrudgingly watching her go. But it wasn't going to end like this. As much as she seemed to think so, he didn't believe she wasn't wrong about Burke- other than underestimating how much of an asshole he could be.


	16. Ruff Neighbourhood

"Doc! In the garbage again? Get out, go on!"

The dog scarpered from the bins, returning to his position by the playground in the centre of the neighbourhood. Doc was his name. Was it? It rang familiar, but he was sure there was something else. He'd lost count of how many days he'd been here. Not that it mattered since he couldn't seem to count any more either. He knew he'd arrived as a man. Well, as a child, which was strange enough; it appeared Dr. Braun, the Overseer of Vault 112, had given himself god-like powers in the simulation. Thus Doc had arrived in the body of a young boy. But after disagreeing to Braun's demands in return for information on the G.E.C.K. he'd suddenly found himself with four legs and a tail. This seemed to amuse the insane scientist well enough, as he had kept him like this ever since.

At least Braun (or 'Betty' as he was named in this simulation, choosing for himself the avatar of a young girl) had stopped teasing him. The bigger problem was with every day that passed here, Doc felt he was losing his focus on why he had come… and he was becoming worryingly obsessed with food, not to mention the neighbourhood cat.

Every day was the same. The residents of Tranquility Lane would wake up to another sunny Saturday and set about taking a walk around the block, mowing their lawns, visiting friends or relaxing in their pristine houses. The simulation was that of a pre-war suburban street, probably very similar to the one abandoned by the residents of Vault 112 when the sirens sounded. The people walking this virtual neighbourhood were avatars of the comatose bodies in the life support _tranquility loungers_ of Vault 112- including his own.

How long had he been here? If he could exit, would his body have aged and withered beyond use? Or was virtual reality like a dream, and he would wake after only a few days had passed in the real world? He struggled to even ponder the concept anymore, compelled to scratch his belly with his leg (that was, his _hind_ leg) whenever he tried to think about it too hard.

His only hope was that Betty would grow bored and return him to human form, or even expel him at some point… or that perhaps even Madison might have followed him here after he told her of his plans. Though that seemed unlikely- he struggled to remember her words now, but he could still feel their harsh tones. He whined involuntarily.

At least Betty had not toyed with the residents in a while. Her idea of fun was to play sick pranks on the people here, even to the point of murder. Murder which she would then reverse by 'resetting' the victim and wiping the memories of everyone else. He'd seen it several times since he'd been trapped here, and it was only the knowledge of Betty's power over his physical life that smothered the growl in his throat as he salivated over ripping out hers.

He was losing it. He couldn't have long before his mind was turned to mutt. Old Mrs. Dithers knew what was going on in some way, she'd told him all about it, mainly because he couldn't speak and call her crazy like everyone else. But she needed an outsider, like him only with thumbs, to do anything about it. As an original resident she was unable to tamper with the program Betty controlled. He prayed for a new arrival to somehow turn up while he could still be revived on the outside. He was thankful that in his current state he could still do that, even if it took the form of howling at the virtual moon.

Perhaps his prayers had been answered, for today there was a new kid on the block. Who, he couldn't say. The avatar was another child, a girl. She popped into existence at the end of the road, blinking as if waking from a dream. He cocked his head to one side as he watched her familiar behaviour. She looked around for recognition of anything, sweeping hands along her arms as she was almost certainly missing her usual clothing or equipment, then sweeping more thoroughly as she realised this was not her body. Probably another adult, bewildered to find themselves in one far too small than they were used to.

But she took this more casually than he had and seemed far more entranced with her surroundings. He had taken a few moments to appreciate the quaint and pleasant street built for the residents, but obviously it was an idealisation. More to the point, a virtual one. So he had moved onto the business at hand of locating Dr. Braun. But this newcomer was inspecting every stone beneath her feet, surveying the road as if it were the eighth (or would it be the first now?) wonder of the world. She stopped to smell the flowers, touch the hedgerows, and as a garden came into view she hopped the fence, bounding to the front door and knocking excitedly.

She raised her hands to her face when a lady answered, peering around her legs into the house. The lady laughed about something and pointed her to the centre of the neighbourhood. Telling her Betty would want to speak to her, no doubt. Instead, she continued along the sidewalk, speaking with everyone she saw, even Mrs. Dithers. He watched eagerly as they spoke for some time before the elderly woman waved her away, clutching at her head. Eventually she stopped at Timmy's lemonade stand. She didn't appear to hand over any money but got a glass out of him anyway. She guzzled it hungrily then scrunched her nose over the empty glass for several seconds in thought. His ears twitched at the expression. Something felt familiar.

She sighed and set the glass down, surveying the whole neighbourhood now with a small frown darkening her brow. She trudged to the centre where Doc lay, absentmindedly ruffling his fur as she passed. "Hey boy, are you make-believe too?"

_No! I'm as real as you! You've got to get us out of here! _"Woof," he said.

She left him and approached Betty at the other end of the playground. No doubt Betty would attempt to recruit her to her sick games. Still, he stayed back, too nervous to disrupt what might be his only hope of getting out of here.

They spoke at length, the newcomer presumably getting acquainted with how Betty ran things. Betty pointed over at Timmy. The newcomer shrugged and headed in his direction.

_Oh no, _Doc thought, a high pitched whine escaping his throat. What did she want her to do to Timmy? Why would the newcomer play along? Perhaps she was seeking something like he was, or perhaps Tranquility Lane now had two tormentors.

The new girl reached Timmy at his lemonade stand and simply punched him in the arm. The boy gawked, shocked, before tears filled his eyes and he ran away, wailing. Betty laughed and applauded from where she watched. The newcomer returned.

Doc's jaw would have dropped, only surprise worked the other way round as a dog. He closed it tight, pricked up his ears and tilted his head at the girl. The familiar girl. A distant memory from a previous life filtered through the mists of his fading mind… of a girl, small, lots of small people. A party. A… _birthday_ party. Presents, _food. _Lots of food. Cake, hotdogs, sweetrolls- that was it! A girl, a boy, a stolen sweetroll. She had punched him. Just like the newcomer. _Exactly _like the newcomer.

Could it be… _Talia?_

He sprang to his feet and bounded after her as she set off on whatever new task Betty had set. But she only petted him briefly before shooing him away and disappearing into a house. He waited outside, vomiting with anxiety as he worried what she was doing to the couple inside. Wondering _how_ she could even entertain Betty's sick plans.

He decided to wait on the central green instead after his dog brain contemplated eating his dinner a second time (he still retained enough of his own mind to resist the more disgusting canine urges). After an eternity of watching, the lady of the house emerged only to storm away angrily, shouting something about her cheating husband. The girl- no, Talia, he was sure of it- followed soon after, strolling back over to Betty.

He could barely watch as Betty congratulated her, and he swivelled his ears away so that he might not hear how his daughter could cavort with such a twisted soul.

She left a third time and he did not follow. He flopped his leaden snout onto his paws and tried to remember happier times. Where did it go wrong? _Where did it go right?_ He'd expected life in Vault 101 to be good, safe. It didn't have to be just the two of them, she'd have a huge family down there. After all, he wouldn't be around forever. But it seemed to drive the two of them apart as she got older. She was resistant to everything the Overseer said, which told him she had good sense at least, but it wouldn't get her the life he wanted for her. She'd never seemed to care about that. She'd always been curious about leaving the Vault. And somehow she had followed him out. He should have known she wouldn't give up on something she wanted. In that respect, she was a lot like her mother.

"_Daddy, why do I have to do all these chores? They're _boring."

"_Well, dear, you're ten years old now. You have to start pulling your weight around here," James chuckled as Talia scrunched up her face in distaste at her newly assigned work roster. Every child took on some light duties after they turned ten. It was the only way the Vault could keep running, and anyway, it taught them the value of hard work and made them a part of the team early on._

"_But why can't I work in the clinic with you? Or do something more fun like shooting radroaches all day." She grinned manically, referring to the BB gun he'd given her for her birthday._

"_Now sweetheart, you must keep that quiet, remember? You can shoot them downstairs whenever you like, in your own time. Maybe you'll become a doctor one day too, but for now you must do what the Overseer set you."_

_She crumpled her face in annoyance. "But I don't like it. What did Mommy do?"_

Catherine… "_Your mother… She was a doctor, just like daddy. She always wanted to help people. And you are helping people too, helping everyone here, by doing your chores." He tried to reiterate her good behaviour, despite his own bad influence in giving her that damn gun. He wanted her to be safe, but not to become a complete Vault drone._

"_Why doesn't anybody talk about her?"_

_James blinked. "What do you mean, sweetheart? We talk about her all the time."_

"_But nobody else does. Did they think she was a bad doctor?"_

_James swallowed. "No, sweetie, not at all. I'm sure they talk about her. You must have forgotten. Or maybe they just don't think they should bring it up. Perhaps they think they'll get upset."_

_Talia was absentmindedly rolling her last potato back and forth on her plate. "But I asked Old Lady Palmer and she didn't remember anything."_

_God, forgive him. "Well, I don't think they knew each other very well. Come on, finish your dinner and we can watch a movie."_

_She stuffed the thing in whole and munched hurriedly as she always did when wishing to leave the table for something more fun, only she seemed a lot more preoccupied with their conversation than the movie. He heaved himself to his feet, guilt weighing a lot more heavily with each year._

James, that was his name, he remembered now. Eventually he kindled some sweeter memories, though they were patchy and he grew tired with the effort. He tried to doze, hoping more might surface in his dreams, but they were interrupted by gunfire. _Gunfire?_ He jumped, the sound echoing from all the houses that encircled him. A scream put him in the right direction. Between the dwellings came the source- soldiers. The Chinese Army no less. What were they doing in the simulation? There had been only the residents plus Braun this whole time. Was this a new trick of his?

They were attacking the neighbourhood. War had come to the pre-war simulation. Assuming Betty would be safe, he scurried closer and laid low, watching in horror as the soldiers systematically mowed down each resident of the neighbourhood. He couldn't see Talia anywhere. He hoped she was as safe as he seemed to be for the moment. The soldiers weren't paying him and Betty any mind. In fact, as the screams died out and an eerie quiet reclaimed the streets, they stopped doing anything at all. It was over.

They waited in place as though for further instruction to be beamed to them. They must be AI, it was as if a program had come to an end. He began to connect the dots as Betty fumed about the deaths of the residents. Behind him, Talia returned.

Betty's voice faltered into that of Braun's, an old man with a thick German accent. "Do you realise what you've done! The failsafe. The residents will die… and I'll be stuck here in this _hell. _Alone! You've ruined everything. _Everything!_"

The newcomer met Braun's tantrum with an icy glare. Given their pre-teen avatars, the standoff was uncanny. He'd be glad to get out of this place. "It's all over. Now shut up, and answer my questions." She spoke with a weight and venom no small child should ever be capable of. _And this was his daughter..?_

Braun's voice retorted. "It is _not_ over! It is not over until I say it is, understand?" He spluttered impotently before gradually trailing off, Betty's voice returning as reality sank in. "I just want things back the way they were. I feel so alone." If he didn't know what a sadistic mind lay behind that voice, he might have felt pity.

Ignoring Betty's misery, the newcomer pressed on. "I came here for my father. Now where is he?"

_It's really her!_ His tail twitched.

Betty snapped in reply. "Oh he's been here all along, and you were too dense to figure it out. The dog you see. Man's best friend… and now you've taken all my friends from me…" The street's tormentor slipped back into self pity.

Talia looked at James and though her avatar was unfamiliar he sensed the recognition. He couldn't help but spin on the spot in excitement. _It's true, it's me!_ "Woof," he said.

"So we can leave?" Talia asked Betty.

"Isn't it obvious? You've run the failsafe, disrupted everything! I have no power over you. There's the door. Go."

To their left a wooden door materialised on the grass. Talia approached it cautiously before grasping the knob. "Come on Dad, time for walkies."

He wished he could scowl at her for joking after all that had happened here. As it was, his tail involuntarily went haywire at the W-word and he bounded through the door as if his life depended on it- which to be fair, it sort of did.

* * *

Talia awoke in relief to find herself looking at the inside of her tranquility lounger. She hadn't been sure the door was really going to work, but she looked and felt like herself, and the memory of clambering inside the pod was already coming back. Honestly she hadn't been sure that she would survive the failsafe either. But when Betty's third task was for Talia to murder Mabel, one of the residents, she'd decided Betty could go fuck herself. She just wanted a day without being ordered to kill someone, after all.

And it turned out the creepy little girl was actually an old Vault Tec scientist- Talia had read his notes on his hidden terminal, the existence of which she learned from elderly resident Mrs. Dithers. While a scary end for the Vault residents, Talia would take that over an eternity of torment at the hands of a lunatic. If Dithers could see some of the truth, surely the others' minds were imprinted with hundreds of previous deaths in some way. She shivered at the notion of virtual reality all over again. She could deal with the danger and pain of the wasteland, but having your head messed with… she realised it was partly why she'd hated the Vault so much, with the Overseer's rather unsubtle efforts to brainwash everyone.

The roof to her pod popped open and she tried to get her realities straight while awaiting the arrival of a robobrain to help her exit. It was taking quite a while so she yelled, but nothing. _Seriously?_ One of them had appeared when she opened an empty lounger, conceding to enter after finding no way to bring Dad out of the simulation from the outside, and it had hooked her up to the life support.

The Vault was designed to let the residents live in VR indefinitely. She supposed there was no programming for the robobrains to deal with anyone _leaving._ Which meant _she_ would have to remove the various tubes and needles that were currently entering her body in wholly nauseating ways.

"Great," she sighed to herself. "Well, how hard can it be, really?" She glanced down at the cannula buried in the back of her hand and wondered if she should have just shot Jericho in the face when Burke ordered her the other day. She could have been having a nice hot bath or getting drunk karaoke going right about now.

"Ew ew ew ew ew," she shuddered when she was free, skipping across the atrium to her dad's lounger. She paused briefly before climbing up to perch on the edge. She hadn't seen him in months, and meeting him as a dog didn't really prepare her for this.

He was awake, but seemed weak. His hair was a greying mop and he had grown a thick beard like she'd never seen, suggesting he'd been here longer than even Talia knew. He'd removed his medical attachments and looked up as she appeared by his side, recognition slowly spreading across his face.

"You've saved me… I was afraid I'd be trapped there forever." His speech was slow as though he was remembering how to talk properly.

"Ruff neighbourhood… You're welcome," Talia muttered even though he hadn't actually thanked her.

Creases formed at his eyes as a smile tried to form. "It's so good to see you… but what are you _doing _here?"

She watched as he struggled to sit forward. He'd been here a lot longer than her. Her Pip Boy showed her adventure had only taken around an hour in real life, though it felt like most of a day in there. She was surprised he didn't bark- his stay must have felt like years. "What's wrong?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"I've been laid here so long... the system here has done a good job of keeping my muscles stimulated to an extent," he held up a pad just like those Talia had peeled off her own skin. "I'll just need a while to get used to moving myself around. Why did you come here?"

_Interesting_, he was stuck here for a while. "I want answers from you."

He attempted to scoff. "You came all this way, and risked your life for answers? They must be important to you."

"Wow, your powers of reasoning are amazing," Talia replied tartly. So she was wrong about him coming here for a new life. But she didn't let herself forget how he got here. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why did you just leave me like that?"

"That's where you belonged," he said with such certainty it made Talia's blood boil. "You were an adult capable of fending for yourself. You had a good life ahead of you."

"Yeah about fifteen minutes ahead of me," she snapped. "I was lucky to get out. Did you know they killed Jonas?"

He frowned. "Who did?"

"_The Overseer._ Or security, one of them. Did you see him? Because I did."

He paused before answering. "No… that's terrible. But we knew the risks when we agreed on the plan for me to leave."

"Oh, you got out, so everything's fine."

"That's not what I said."

"Well that's what it seems like. You don't care about anyone but yourself."

"That's not true, honey. I wanted you to stay in the Vault because it was _safe_. What's out here is my task, my responsibility. I never wanted you to have any part of this insanity."

"Well after you left it wasn't safe. For me, or Jonas, or anyone. Other people died, you know." She searched his face for any acknowledgement of the consequences of his actions. He answered too quickly to have given it any thought.

"I know it wasn't a perfect plan, but it was the best I could do. I didn't want my baby girl growing up on the surface."

Talia's eyes widened. "So you _have _been lying to me my whole life? I heard about it all you know."

He sighed. "Yes, I lied about where you were born. About where I was born. I admit that. At the time, I felt the truth would only encourage you to try and leave the Vault, to go looking for your past. Perhaps I should've handled things differently. I'm sorry."

Talia blinked. Her whole life she'd felt him hiding something from her. She didn't know what, or why; she was just a kid. "_Sorry…_ sorry isn't enough Dad," she breathed.

"I'm afraid there's nothing else I can offer. When Project Purity is finished, we can sit down and really talk. I'd like to work through this. But first, I need to return to Rivet City. There is much to do."

Talia was stunned at the ease with which he brushed aside her concerns as little more than a childish tantrum. She supposed she shouldn't have been. Old habits die hard, they said. But she had been anticipating something far more climactic while she'd been studying how to open the machine. He gestured for a hand as he attempted to lift himself from the lounger, and she leant one unthinkingly.

"So what are _you _doing here? What is this 'project'?" She couldn't keep the teenish edge from her voice as if asking out of obligation. Habits and that.

He rested forward in his seat for a moment. "Project Purity. It was underway long before you were born. There were many of us, including your mother, who devoted our lives to it. We were going to purify all of the water in the tidal basin. Water that could sustain normal life and allow people to start over. The idea of free, clean water for everyone drove us to succeed. So many sacrifices were made for that idea. My responsibility is to see it through to the end, to make sure those sacrifices mean something."

"Why… what happened?" Talia probed when he got a familiar faraway look in his eye.

"There had always been something of a "mutant problem" in the city, but it became worse in the year before you were born. They attacked us at the purifier more frequently, and more aggressively. Support for the project eroded as time went on, when we couldn't produce any significant results. Progress came to a halt.

"And then you were born. Your mother and I had talked about what to do when that time came, but then I... We lost her, and I had to make a decision. I chose to leave.

"From what I understand, things happened quickly after that. It became too dangerous for the others to stay, and so the project was abandoned. Doctor Li and her team left for what became Rivet City, and Project Purity has sat waiting ever since."

"And it can't wait any longer? You're going to just go back now and fix it huh?" Insult soured her words. Burke, Amata, Dad. Was she just an actor in everyone else's grand plans?

"You must understand, this has been my responsibility since long before you were born. Too many people have made sacrifices to give up on it. I came back now because one day, in the Vault, I learned about the existence of the _Garden of Eden Creation Kit_. The only way I can describe it is that it's a miracle terraforming device, bringing life to the lifeless wasteland. It was developed by a famous scientist, Doctor Stanislaus Braun, who was working in Vault Tec's Societal Preservation Program. The devices were actually issued to some Vaults, though not Vault 101. However, I discovered Braun himself was admitted to this Vault.

"I realised this technology and Braun's genius could transform my work on Project Purity, could hold the key to getting the purifier working at full capacity. I came here looking for information on Braun's research, his work on the G.E.C.K.

"I wasn't expecting to find him alive or to get caught up in his twisted fantasy world."

Talia tried to digest what she'd just heard while James caught his breath. "Lucky I got here when I did," she commented with a raised eyebrow.

He checked the date on his Pip Boy. "Oh my, I am, aren't I? I was afraid I'd wake up an old man, if at all. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you found me."

"Old_er. _Well, I was surprised. I just stumbled across you to be honest." She noticed herself looking for signs her words stung, though she knew if she wanted she could tell him she initially found him and left with no intention of going back.

"Then I really am lucky. Perhaps you were meant to follow me out. Well, you've obviously learned to look after yourself, but what are you doing out here?"

"Yeah I have, don't look so surprised," she replied defensively. "I'm not a baby. Even you said so. Got a job and everything, better than the Overseer would ever give me, that's for sure."

"Hmm, I think you might be right there," he grumbled, and Talia did a double take. It was the first time he hadn't just told her she should have tried harder on the G.O.A.T. "Well, good for you. Doing what?"

"What?" Make that a triple take.

"Work," he sighed, focussing on deepening his breaths for the first time in months.

"Oh, uh… deliveries, I guess, mostly," she answered vaguely.

"Well, I suppose that's important on the surface. Not everyone can travel the wasteland."

Talia responded quickly. "Oh, I never thought about it like that. I mean I still do some odd jobs and maintenance where I live. It's good to contribute like that, you know."

"That's my girl," he said warmly and Talia smiled, though not at his empty words. She thought of Burke expressing a similar sentiment some time ago… at least his actions had always backed it up. But then why was she out here?

"Why are you doing this?" she probed quietly. "Is this about Mom? Are you trying so hard because of what happened to her?"

James sagged. "Oh, my child. If only you could have known how much it meant to her. She believed in the work we were doing, and was so determined to see it through. She gave up so much for the project. We all did, and I don't want that to have been for nothing."

Talia fiddled with a latch on the pod while James continued exercising his lungs. "What really happened to her?" She wanted all the answers before he left this seat. "How did she really die?"

She saw him look at her from the corner of her eye. "I understand that you have reason to question a good many things I've told you over the years. But your mother…" He grasped her arm and squeezed until she looked back. "I've never lied to you about what happened. Not once. She died giving birth to you. It was a difficult time…"

She gave a small nod, ashamed she had even questioned it, and he let go. The pain in his eyes was still clear to her.

"She was so eager to meet you, to make a place for you in the world. If nothing else, please believe that she loved you very much."

Talia had never known her but James made sure to tell her who she had been. So much that she'd always felt like someone who would be coming home any day now, and Talia would remember everything about her once she did. She wasn't sure if that made things better or worse.

"So… did you find out what you needed?"

"I did indeed. The G.E.C.K. was designed to readapt living environments after the war, so I'm sure components of the technology are just what we've been missing all this time. I need to return to Rivet City. When Madison knows about this, I can get her to see that it will really work." The thought seemed to spur him on and he heaved himself from his seat. Talia hopped down from the lip, offering support as he tumbled out of the pod.

"Madison?"

"Doctor Madison Li. She worked on the project with me back then. She has a lab in the city now. Oh, are you going to introduce us?" He was looking at Dogmeat, who was eyeing him back.

"Didn't you learn to talk dog in there? You were one long enough."

"Very funny, but I'd quite like to forget all about what it's like to have four legs and no hands to be honest." He crouched and allowed Dogmeat to check him out.

"His name's Dogmeat. Which you will be if you try to walk all the way to the city like that. You can barely stand up, and it's cold out."

"I'll be alright with some more exercise," he countered while stroking Dogmeat's head. "But you're right, I got here in the summer. There should be some clothes left by the original residents when they changed into their Vault suits. With any luck someone was wearing a coat. Have a look for me would you sweetheart? I'm going to see if this place was built with a bathroom. I never want to see another mail box or fire hydrant again."


	17. A Cold Night

Gustavo jumped up when he saw Dashwood heading outside. He whistled for one of his men in the lobby to cover the desk while he followed him into the courtyard. "Dashwood! Nice day for a walk is it?"

The morning was crisp, a distant winter sun offering only a whisper of warmth, but the complete absence of clouds lifting the moods of everyone. Everyone except Gustavo, who had a suspicion Dashwood was up to something.

"Good morning Chief, yes it is. How do you do today?" He couldn't remember if he was always this cheery or if it was likely a front.

"Well Dashwood, actually I have a bit of a problem. See, last night there was a new magazine in my desk, and today it seems to have gone for a walk as well. Wouldn't know anything about that would you?"

Dashwood smiled brightly. "Sorry Chief, no idea. Er, does it really count as new when it's two hundred years out of print?"

Gustavo narrowed his eyes. "Well it's new if you haven't read it."

"I suppose you're right. Hmm, perhaps Mr. Collins took it? He has an interest in the botanical, I believe."

"Right. I'll keep my eyes open. Feel free to let me know if you see anything _suspicious_."

"Right-o. Good morning."

He nodded in farewell as Dashwood took a walk around the tower grounds. Gustavo turned quietly to one of his men. "Go keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't get up to anything funny." Then he then joined those off duty under the roofed living area. "What's happening?"

Vasquez spoke first. "I'm trying to get Grayson to play me for that rifle. Tell him not to be such a wuss, Boss."

Grayson responded. "I already played everyone for this rifle, I'm not giving it up now. Got it zeroed yesterday. It shoots pretty nice Boss. For a raider he kept his gear in good order."

"Seems pretty fair Vasquez," Gustavo observed. It wasn't a bad weapon they'd picked off the body of Talia's kidnapper among everything else. Standard operating procedure was to play poker to determine who got what.

"I offered a fair and generous challenge. He is being a _very ungracious _opponent," Vasquez mocked.

"You got fuck all worth playin' for Vasquez, why would I play you?" Grayson laughed.

"Pfft," Vasquez dismissed Grayson with a wave of his hand.

Gustavo patted the disgruntled merc on the shoulder. "And he has even less now. You owe me remember? Come on, cough up."

Vasquez grumbled. "How do we know that bet was settled? I gotta go on your word, which you know I respect, but you got interests in this one."

"You all saw her. She was in one piece, right?" He turned to the others for agreement Talia was not missing any fingers when she left.

"Fine," Vasquez acquiesced, handing Gustavo a handful of caps.

"Thank you. You need to learn to win more Vasquez." Vasquez sneered as the others laughed. Gustavo threw some caps back. "Here, go get yourself a goddamn haircut." He enjoyed a wager but he didn't like to take from his men too often.

"Gee, thanks Boss," he ran an uncertain hand through his wilding hair.

"I told you didn't I?" Grayson added with a stupid grin on his face. "I knew he wouldn't touch her. Not like _that _anyway."

"Then put your money where your mouth is next time," Gustavo interrupted.

"Hey, Boss, why'd she get a kiss and a cuddle when you seen her off? You never say goodbye to us like that." Vasquez smirked around the table, drawing sniggers from the others.

Gustavo donned his best poker face while allowing them to chuckle themselves out. "Grow a pair of tits and bring me coffee every morning, and maybe I will."

That set them off again, and when there was a lull in the laughter Johnny interjected. "I bring you coffee all the time Boss."

"But I have to tell you Johnny."

"You're too ugly Johnny!" Grayson hooted.

"Alright, fuck off," Johnny complained. "He ain't my type anyway."

"Boss!" Happy called over from the gate.

Gustavo held up a hand to halt the current discussion. "Alright ladies, I'll leave you to it." He strode across the courtyard to the letter Happy was holding up.

"Courier. Said it's urgent."

Gustavo took it and inspected the envelope. It was addressed to Burke. "I'll take it." He chatted with Happy for a while, which was a lot like talking to a wall. But considering how many interactions with his unit felt like him stepping between bickering children, he found it quite refreshing.

From the corner of his eye he saw Dashwood reenter the tower. He returned to the man he'd set on his tail. He only shook his head. He swore the old codger was messing with him. He seemed far too amused whenever Gustavo was annoyed.

Talia would be able to find out if Dashwood had anything to do with his lack of reading material, but she was still out. He had urged Burke to go after her the same day, on account of her being so upset because of him. It wasn't like her, and she'd only gone up to the old garage. But the old fart was being quiet on the matter. Ten years or so of knowing each other and Gustavo wouldn't bet on knowing what went through his head. Not often anyway.

* * *

Burke frowned at the empty bar stool next to him. "Shakes, the bottle," he barked at the robot bartender, beckoning with his fingers. "Put it on my tab," he said over his shoulder as he left with a bottle of scotch in one hand.

He rounded the corner to the lobby to find the desk unmanned. He checked his watch and figured at this time of night Gustavo would be outside, if he wasn't attempting to be surreptitious about visiting the woman from the first floor. From the shadows outside, he spotted the security Chief with his men in the far corner. He moved a little nearer to the light. "Chief," he didn't need to raise his voice as the cold night air carried his words easily.

Gustavo excused himself and joined Burke in the shadow. Spotting the proffered bottle he circled back on himself to fetch two glasses. They set off for the tables round the far side of the building.

"Don't suppose you got any more of those cigars yet?" Gustavo asked as they sat down.

"No- I'll let you know," Burke grumbled, offering a cigarette instead as he lit up. Gustavo declined. "Why, you have something to celebrate?"

"Having cigars would be something," Gustavo joked dryly.

Burke laughed under his breath. "Your divorcee not giving you enough to smile about?"

"What?"

Burke leant back puffing heavily on his smoke. "Don't play dumb. You and first floor."

Gustavo looked over his shoulder, speaking in hushed tones. "Don't shout about it… trying to keep these guys semi professional is hard enough."

Burke gave him a quizzical look, knowing he instructed his men not to become too familiar with the residents.

"Don't look at me like that. Look, I know what I tell my guys, but they know if they ever get serious with someone here, nothing can change. They do their job. They aren't rich or important enough to quit and shack up inside. They're security or they're out on their ass.

"Anyway, she's not a divorcee. She's a widow, and she's a real nice woman."

"Older woman, so I hear?"

"Ha! Barely… anyway, don't even try to say anything to me about age differences, you old dog." He smirked as if he knew something. Which he didn't.

Burke scoffed and looked away. "I didn't take you for a gossip."

"Don't have to. It's goddamn obvious."

Burke twitched. He forced a tired sigh as if playing along. "What is?"

"You know what."

He leant in, amused by Gustavo's attempt to play interrogator. "Enlighten me."

"You and 101."

"I've heard the rumours like anyone. They're baseless."

"I know. Damn shame."

Burke raised an eyebrow and leant back. "I didn't know you took such an interest."

"Just my opinion," Gustavo sniffed.

"Well do I pay you for your opinion or to look after that rabble of yours?"

"Technically you don't pay me at all. Tenpenny does."

Burke hummed. He was correct, technically. "Yes, but Tenpenny is getting ancient. He won't be around forever."

"You sure about that? The man must've drunk half the wasteland dry by now and he's still ticking. Come on," he added as Burke shot him a warning look. "I see the deliveries and I can count."

Burke snorted. "I must admit I'm surprised he hasn't fallen off that balcony. The man must have a remarkable constitution." They both looked up for several moments. "Will you still be here then, do you think?"

"Damn straight I will. I have to start thinking about my retirement, and it'll be a fairly comfortable one here. Yeah, it's a nice gig you got me here, did I ever thank you?"

"Huh, not that I remember."

"Hm. Well, maybe I will if I make it to his age. I never fancied dying a merc. I know, but it paid well and there was plenty of work. No, I'd like my last breath to be in a warm bed with the heat of a woman next to me.

"What about you? Don't leave me to get old with Tenpenny. I bet he'll live to a hundred and ten."

Burke ran a hand over his jaw and looked into the distance. "This tower was the plan... Could be more expansion, I suppose. Can't see another place coming together as well as this one though." He mulled over old, shelved plans. What had started as business had become a home. He drowned a bubble of sentimentality with a swig of scotch.

"It's a damn fine place. There's freedom in small settlements, but they could be wiped out overnight. I've seen it happen. Damn near caused it, to be honest."

"Really?" Burke inquired.

"Job for the unit way back. The fools between us and the objective happened to make up most of some tiny settlement. Dumb way to live if you ask me, unless you're gonna make sure you stay completely unheard of to anyone."

"Sounds like your ability to be charming."

"Ha! More like your wallet. Speaking of dumb, holy shit, that walk-in the other day. Jericho was it? Man… What. A. Plan."

Burke replayed the scene in his mind while smoking. "It wasn't so much idiocy as desperation."

"I don't like desperate," Gustavo commented. "Desperate is dangerous."

"It can be… it can also hand over all control to the other."

Gustavo shook his head. "I prefer to shoot things if necessary, and be upfront about it. I don't know how you talked him in like that."

Burke shrugged.

"Well, it's good you did or Talia might've snuffed it too. I don't think he was playing."

Burke tensed at the words, but let nothing show. Gustavo spoke bluntly, but wasn't wrong. He paused before posing a question, drumming his fingers on the table. "What, uh, what made you say it's a shame?"

"Hmm?"

Burke gritted his teeth at how slow he could be to keep up. "You said earlier, 'it's a shame', in your opinion…" Recognition flashed across Gustavo's face along with an irritating smirk. "You know what, never mind."

"No takebacks. You asked, I'm going to tell you anyway," Gustavo blustered. "Don't wince, I know you think my mind lives in the gutter but this isn't that."

Burke sighed and plonked his chin in his hand in wait.

"You've obviously got your eyes on each other- "

"Obviously?"

"_Yes._ And everyone can see it, so don't say it's just me. But-" he held up his hand when Burke rolled his eyes, "hold up, but I don't mean the gossip. _I_ can see there's more to it Burke. No other man I know would ignore a pretty eighteen year old who's got the hots for them as long as you."

Burke grimaced. "That's because the men you know are _your_ men, they're not exactly pillars of self-restraint.

"And she's nineteen."

"Ha!... That may be true, but what I mean is, I can tell you aren't ignorant, but you're _trying_ to ignore it. Hell knows why."

Burke inhaled sharply. "Well it's all very lovely hearing how much you think about me, but I've heard quite enough."

Gustavo slurped his drink. "No no no, I'm not messing with you, I'm saying you're _not _a pervert-"

Burke palmed his face and signalled for Gustavo to stop.

He ploughed on, finally getting to the point. "It's a shame, Burke, because she thinks you don't even care she left, and you obviously do."

Burke glared while finishing his cigarette. "Thank you for finally answering my question. Are you quite finished?"

"She's a sweet girl, that's all I'm sayin'. It was a sad sight when she went," he shrugged and polished off his drink.

Burke did the same and let Gustavo refill the glasses. "Is that what she thinks or what you think?"

"She told me."

"Why?" He eyed the Chief suspiciously.

Gustavo chuckled. "I'm the agony aunt, I don't know. Not much different from the day job." He sat back and swirled his drink. "Can I be frank?"

Burke sighed. "You already are."

"I really think you should go find her. It's been days."

"She'll be alright, she's a tough girl."

Gustavo narrowed his eyes. "Stop with whatever it is you're trying to do with her as well."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Just treat her like a normal man would, hell. That whole Jericho thing fucked it for you, you know."

Burke looked around for who Gustavo was actually speaking to. "I don't know what you think I'm trying to achieve, and I suggest you don't know what you're talking about." Burke almost laughed. If he only knew who had brought the mushroom cloud they all witnessed back in summer.

"No, I guess I don't," Gustavo said meaningfully. "Guess it doesn't matter since she might not even come back."

"Of course she will."

"You're so sure? She's gone to find her dad."

Burke didn't answer, scowling into the distance. He'd had to ask Gustavo where she went the day she left. But now he knew she was already on the move, and not in the direction of the tower.

Gustavo continued, more to himself. "Like I said, sweet girl. Hope she's alright. Sounds like her dad was some kind of lab guy, not exactly a wasteland type."

"She's fine," Burke muttered.

"How could you know that?"

Burke groaned. "Because… I sent someone to track her and… lend a hand, if necessary. That letter was news. She left that Vault with someone already, presumably her father. Looks headed toward the city."

There was a quiet pause while Gustavo repeated the statement to himself, before he broke down, roaring with laughter. "Oh hell… Burke... that's classic. Only you would send a spy after your woman. A spy!" He shook his head in an attempt to calm himself.

Burke waved his hand incredulously. "Gustavo, I have contacts all over the wasteland. If I want to find somebody, I will, faster than most. It would be foolish _not_ to use them."

Gustavo was wiping a tear from his eye. "That's all great… if you're a spy too, or goddamn... Santa Claus."

Burke huffed and took out another cigarette.

Eventually he regained the ability to speak normally. "I'm sorry. Maybe she'll appreciate it, she seems to like you after all. Well, good to know she's alright. You could've said though. Don't see the need for all the secrecy."

"I think you've just demonstrated that," Burke grumbled through a flame.

Gustavo cleared his throat. "Don't pretend you're offended. And don't pretend you don't know what she thinks. It was endearing but now I just think you're a goddamn idiot."

Burke chuckled bitterly, not entirely disagreeing. "Eloquent."

"What?"

"You have a way with words, my friend."

"Yeah, and you know too many. I'm serious though Burke." He pointed firmly at Burke's chest to reiterate his point. "You're an idiot. She's crazy for you. She told me. What are you doing sitting here?"

Gustavo was testing his patience, but only because it was thin on the ground lately. He was sitting here getting the second opinion he'd asked for. Was he right to have resisted, ignored what was apparently so obvious for so long? It seemed not. That much was evident, since she wasn't here and wasn't coming back any time soon. Now he was much more occupied with Gustavo's testimony on Talia's feelings. The very morning she walked out. The morning he saw her honestly for the first time.

"I'm finishing this bottle. What are _you _doing?"

* * *

"What are you _doing_?" Talia griped as James dropped an armful of flammable detritus onto the ground.

"Got to keep warm sweetie. It gets cold out here at night."

"We can't have a fire Dad. It will be seen miles around. Do you want a midnight visit from mutants or raiders?" _Or regulators,_ she added privately.

"Of course not, but neither do I want us getting hypothermia, and that is a lot more probable, darling," he retorted firmly.

Talia stood and kicked the pile so it scattered all around. "No. No fire. We'll have to find something more sheltered and… huddle up." She frowned at the idea and his arrogance while looking around for any features that would shield them from the elements. Burke and Gustavo had taught her plenty about staying alive while crossing the wastes, particularly anywhere near the city ruins. The guys had rather amusingly demonstrated how they would spoon each other to stay warm on cold nights.

"Alright, you're the boss," James ceded. "But I do know a thing or two about living in the wasteland, you know."

"Yeah I know, _I just found out_," Talia replied scathingly. "Anyway so do I. And I'm surprised you didn't get yourself killed already." She broke into a jog to investigate a dip in the ground ahead. It was dry, and within it was a rock formation that should break up any remaining breezes that made it down, as well as hiding them from view should anyone pass by, unlikely as it was.

She beckoned for James to join her and, while he approached, set out what blankets she carried in the small space.

"Cosy huh?"

"Very," James said as he sat down beside her. "I'm sorry for hiding it from you, but I did live a life on the outside, and I survived as long as I did. Don't act like you know it all, all of a sudden, young lady."

Talia rolled her eyes while taking some food from her pack. He had a point. But here she was lending him blankets and food, having had to persuade him to stop at all. He was under prepared, completely single minded, and it made her nervous.

"I want you to tell me what that was in the simulation," he continued while opening a tin of something (it was too dark to tell what, and anyway Talia found it easier to eat the preserved twenty first century foodstuffs if she didn't look at it first, or at all).

"Mngh?" she questioned while already shovelling in her meal.

"How could you even consider working with Betty- I mean Braun? How could you do those things?"

Talia swallowed and shrugged, preparing another spoonful. "Well did you want to get out of there?"

James sighed. "That's not my point."

Talia took her time chewing, but he just sat through the awkward quiet waiting for an answer. "I had to play along Dad. She- he, obviously thought he was a god, and he _was_ in charge to be fair. People like that won't be told they're wrong, you have to play by their rules... So I just sucked up until I could find out more."

"But you hurt those people."

"Well look where refusing got you." She shovelled in another mouthful to avoid any more immediate discussion.

"Well, you have a point there," he admitted. "I wonder if every Overseer is insane? They have too much power, it must corrupt them all."

It was a good question. Talia silently wondered if Amata would fall to the same fate.

"That was impressive though sweetheart. I suppose with smarts like that is how you got out of Vault 101, hm?"

"Smmfngh mhh ma."

"Sorry?"

She swallowed. "Something like that," she mumbled before immediately scoffing another spoonful. Her tin would be running dangerously low at this rate.

James set down his meal and unholstered Talia's- _his_ pistol, holding it in his lap. She'd given it to him before they left, finding him woefully unarmed. He checked the magazine and ran his hand over the barrel. "I snuck this in and kept it in case of emergencies. That was the only surviving Vault anywhere near DC, so I couldn't be sure it would be a totally sane environment.

"When I had a chance to leave, I should have fetched it, but the window was so narrow. I thought at least if you were to find it after I was gone, it might be of use to you. I hoped not, I thought they would just seal the Vault after me, but I suppose it turned out otherwise. I hope you didn't have to use it, but I'm glad you're safe now."

She frowned into her food as she used to when she was confused by James' contradictory ramblings. He'd known she might need it, but she knew he wouldn't want to hear how she'd used it. Though she was relieved he didn't ask directly, she was a little disgusted too.

"I found it long before that you know," she deflected instead. "At least I know what you spent nights in the clinic for now."

"What? What do you mean?"

Talia shivered and shifted where she sat. "You were miserable and you were down there a lot… and I found the gun and the booze… locked together..."

"...Oh." His voice changed as he put two and two together. "Oh, sweetheart, no, it wasn't like that, I would never-"

Talia continued as if he wasn't there. "But then you were just normal again in the mornings- you weren't like Butch's mom, so I just ignored it, I thought maybe everybody was like that..."

After several moments of staring into the darkness, she shrugged off the arm she felt settle around her shoulders. She pulled a blanket around herself. "It's fine. Whatever." The memories receded along with his hand, and she continued in a mock admonishing tone. "But this doesn't mean I don't still think you have some sort of death wish. Coming out here with no gear and lighting us up like a Christmas tree."

"Okay, okay, no fire," he croaked.

They sat in awkward silence once more, broken only by Dogmeat moving so he could join them in the blankets.

"Is Christmas still a thing out here? Or- I mean- was it?" Talia asked quietly.

"It was for your mother and I, of course. Some people still knew of the Bible, some people just knew it was an old tradition, it was lost on others. I suppose it's still much the same now."

"That's good. I always liked Christmas the most."

"I know you did. I bet it was because of the food, hmm? It certainly wasn't because of the presents."

Talia laughed softly and shook her head, giving him nothing but a vague "mmm." All of the older folks would spoil all of the children in the Vault since there were so few, but since everything was in finite supply, gifts had to be 'imaginative'. And it turns out five year olds are rather harsh critics.

Christmas had been the only day of the year that everyone in the Vault was off duty. But for Talia it was one day she knew James wouldn't disappear for the night or slip into a morose gloom. The food was a bonus.

As full night drew in and they lay their heads down to get some rest, Talia grudgingly allowed herself to be the little spoon. Between the warmth of Dogmeat and her dad, she was quite comfortable despite the cold night air, but she still couldn't sleep a wink for several hours.


	18. No Fire, All Flame

"_As far as I can tell, you're a perfectly healthy sixteen year old girl. So yes, you have to go to class to take your G.O.A.T. exam." James chided his daughter who sat in front of him in his clinic. Her cough was award-winning._

"_But I'm sick Dad," she sniffled. "Really." _

"_No, you're not. Really. One of the first things I learned when studying medicine was how to spot a kid playing sick to get out of taking a test."_

"_Oh sure, 'cause that makes a lot of sense," she rolled her eyes in a huff. Teenagers._

"_I was trying to lighten the mood, but since you're so serious, never mind. There's nothing wrong with you, now get to class."_

_She didn't budge. "But it sounds so stupid. How can they figure out what we're all gonna do based on one stupid test?" Despite her frowning and complaining James sensed she was more than a little worried about the exam._

_He leant on the edge of his desk. "You'll do fine. It's not so bad anyway. And everyone has to take it when they're sixteen. I had to, you have to, and so does everybody else." _

_He barely noticed himself lying anymore. The cover story about Talia, her mother and himself all being born in the Vault had become second nature; he would have believed it himself if he wasn't starting to dream about leaving and reigniting Project Purity. It was easy when she was small, but as she got older she noticed inconsistencies and asked a lot of questions. But by that point the Overseer had decreed that the Vault's history be rewritten too. All of the kids Talia's age didn't know anything about the earlier open status of the Vault. All of the adults talked as if it was perfectly normal for them to wipe entire events, people, from memory. It was surreal, but if it meant Talia would have a safe place to grow old, he would go along with it. No matter how painful it had been to misdirect and misinform his own child._

_He continued, "You remember it helps to figure out what sort of job you'll have here, so try not to fall asleep."_

"_But that's the problem. Why is it done in one test? What if you're having a bad day? Or some knucklehead flukes it? We could end up with a… a doctor who doesn't know his ass from his elbow!"_

"_Language, young lady," he chastised. "It's a lot smarter than you might think at gauging what _kind _of thing you're good at, so long as you apply yourself. Don't worry and just do your best, I know you have a brain in there._

"_Anyway, that's the way it is. You know what the Overseer says: 'We're born in the Vault, we die in the Vault. Each is tested to determine their abilities, that they may work for the betterment of all Vault residents.' Sound familiar?"_

_She nodded but he could see her mind was working on something else he'd said._

"_Do we _have _to die in the Vault? Can't we ever leave?"_

_He pursed his lips and looked away. He'd gotten quite used to being blindsided with questions on the outside, so his reaction was fairly polished. But he'd rather not have to navigate such trip hazards so often, and with each answer he gave he felt Talia drift further from him, as if she saw every lie and added one more nail to the coffin._

"_That's what the Overseer says, isn't it?" he answered somewhat disingenuously._

_He watched her watch him, scoffing at his attempt to dodge the question. He better hammer this one home. "Look, that's not how it works. And it won't do to ask questions like that, _especially _around the Overseer." He was just starting to investigate the possibilities, but the day would come eventually. During their time in the Vault the Overseer had become stricter, more paranoid. He worried about leaving Talia alone here, but only because she had not yet put to rest her fantasies about going to the surface. _

_He crouched in front of her and took both her hands in his. "I want to tell you something now, and it's important, so listen closely."_

_She dropped her churlish scowl at his sudden change in tone. "This place, this Vault… it's not perfect, I know. But it _is _your home. You're _safe _here. _Stay- on- the- Overseer's- good side_, and you always will be. Do you understand?"_

"_Dad, you're scaring me…"_

_James sighed and shook his head. "Oh, I'm sorry honey. There's nothing to be afraid of, not here. You just… you need to appreciate all you have. What's up there, on the outside... that's not the life I want for you. Not what your mother wanted either."_

_She leant back, pulling her hands from his and crossing her arms. "Well what does it matter? The stupid G.O.A.T._ _decides what life any of us have anyway…"_

"_I've already told you," he corrected, slightly admonishing once more. Teenagers were exhausting. "It's not as simple as you make out. Your mother had great things in mind for you, so please, take this test seriously. The last thing I need is her ghost haunting me because you became a… a garbage burner."_

_He chuckled but she didn't join in. He knew teenagers were moody but Talia seemed to reserve it for him in concentrated doses. "Sweetheart, please believe me, your mother was so much more than the old photos can show. She was passionate about life, love, and _you. _When she was pregnant with you she was the happiest I had ever seen her. She wanted nothing more than for you to have a good life. And you can. I believe in you, honey. You've nothing to worry about, so it's time to stop stalling and get to class."_

_Talking about Catherine were some of the happiest memories he had with Talia. Showing her the photos he still possessed, sharing with her what a warm soul he knew her to be, he just wanted her to feel some connection to the mother she didn't get to grow up with. But now, she barely responded when he brought her up. She had been this way for a while._

"_If you say so Dad," she answered robotically, standing up. _

"_Hey," he stood too and touched her arm. "It's not my call. Those are the rules."_

_She stared through him and shrugged. It was a poor choice of words, knowing how little she seemed to care for them. Only last week he'd found her stumbling into her quarters in the middle of the night, completely drunk and in possession of something… personal, of Mr Brotch's, stolen from the classroom for some kind of dare. _"What are they gonna do? Throw me in a hole in the ground?" _was her rebuttal. She wasn't phased by his own punishments either. _

"_Sweetie…"_

"_Bye Dad." She shrugged off his hand and left him wondering if she didn't believe anything that came out of his mouth anymore. Even things about her mother._

James thought about his daughter, about Catherine, in the small hours of the morning as he shuffled out of their camp in search of a tree stump. (After escaping Tranquility Lane, he thought these days were over, but his need to get up in the night didn't stop just because he was in the middle of the wasteland. The joys of aging.)

He worried for Talia. It was even more dangerous for a young woman outside. He had clearly failed to convince her that the Vault was the best place to live… he failed to ensure that for her, for Catherine. And yet, she had taken to it like a mirelurk to water. Events had done nothing to ease their strained relations, but he could still see the spark she'd always had about her, and now it was a flame.

Now she was here, it was no use dwelling on what he should have done differently to ensure she stayed underground. He'd like for her to join him in his work. Perhaps she would see what was so important about it that he had to return. Perhaps they could heal after he got the purifier working. The pair of them, making the world a better place, making Catherine's dream come true… what an idea it was.

He crept back into their camp, shivering from the cold. Talia was curled up like a cinnamon roll. After climbing back under the blankets he pulled them up to ensure she was completely covered and rested an arm across her to share body heat once more. Perhaps they could share something more like joy again soon.

* * *

Talia drifted in the limbo between dream and reality with a new kind of appreciation brought on by being trapped in neither by a maniac. The psychotic little girl's voice faded, the faces disappeared, replaced by the roar of a waterfall and an aspect of Burke. She reached out for him, knowing that she wanted him closer but unable to make it happen; the dreamworld still led.

But intention was enough. She felt the warmth of his arms around her, music surrounded them, and he kissed her. But… he was cold, and what began with all the right and proper signs of a bloody good dream collapsed back to weirdness. He dissolved from the scene but she still felt his cold caress, on her forehead of all places…

Eventually she figured out reality was seeping in. She opened her eyes to find Dogmeat's face an inch from hers, staring down intently, before he tried again to wake her by smushing his cold wet nose against her head. She batted him away with an irked sigh, wiping off her face as he backed off with a satisfied spin.

"Way to interrupt, Dog," she muttered, scrunching her eyes tight in an attempt to call back the dream. She stretched and twisted, remembering only after a few seconds where she was and why. She peeked again to confirm the arm over her body actually belonged to James. She grimaced and rolled out of the blankets so fast Dogmeat barked in surprise.

"Wha-_argh_ nonotagain!" James blurted as he woke suddenly.

"It's just Dogmeat, Dad," Talia assured, watching in amusement as he confirmed for himself he still had a human body.

"Oh… good… everything alright?"

"Relatively, I guess… he seems impatient to get going, we should move."

He shook off his distress and blinked his eyes clear in a second. "Sounds good to me."

_Of course it does._ Talia had never seen her dad this way. It was like someone had lit a fire under him. He had a mission. He was invigorated beyond anything she'd imagined him capable of. She'd only glimpsed his passion when he spoke of her mother, shining its brightest when he occasionally seemed to forget she was in the past, living out the memory in front of her.

But this, now, was more than passion… it was fervour. Maybe she didn't have the whole picture, and she was definitely more than a little wounded he'd kept this a secret, kept this version of himself hidden away, but she couldn't help thinking he'd hidden away too long. All his anticipation had been supercharged. For a man she'd known all her life for his caution, he seemed far too eager to jump into a wasteland he didn't know in pursuit of a previous life.

Or maybe three months as a dog had just given him a new restlessness.

She stood as he began rolling up the blankets. "Okay, just... give me a minute. Gotta find the ladies room." She flashed a grin and went to look for a bit of privacy. So did Dogmeat. "Oh, Dogmeat, gimme a break! _Stay."_

* * *

"Er… thank you?" Talia called across the rubble as the stranger, who just saved both their asses from an angry supermutant, disappeared into the fog. "Lucky he was around," she commented to James. "I wonder who he is?"

"Hmm, mysterious," James replied, approaching the downed mutant with Talia's shotgun trained on it just in case. "Yep, it's dead. They're still as big and ugly as I remember." He spoke with levity while he inspected the body, probing here and there with a finger. Talia couldn't see what was so amusing about the eight foot tower of thick, green muscle, armed with pure rage. And big weapons, as if it needed any.

"Are they all like this?" she asked, face contorted in horror. She'd heard about supermutants from Herbert but had assumed he was exaggerating for dramatic effect. He wasn't.

"Yes. They seem to be relatively humanoid, but bigger, stronger. They showed up after the war at some point. Not sure why, but they seemed to be fairly abundant in the city. We had a lot of problems with them at the Project. The Brotherhood of Steel dealt with them for us most of the time.

"Which reminds me- they tended to roam in groups, so we should get out of here."

"That's the first sensible thing you've said all day." Talia hurried after James as he led the final leg to Rivet City. "Brotherhood of Steel?"

"Oh, you haven't come across them? In a nutshell, they're a kind of military group who collect and preserve knowledge and technology, to help humanity back on its feet. Around here they can generally be relied upon to help out if you're in a scrape, like they did with our lab. I believe they're still around the city. I wonder if they'll remember us.

"I tell you, I wouldn't turn down their help right now. Travelling the wasteland, shooting guns! By God, I'm getting too old for this sort of thing."

"You're pretty good at it…" Considering the pace he had set, that statement didn't seem so accurate to Talia.

"Well, as long as we get through this, that's good enough I suppose. Though it wouldn't be such a bad thing if you thought your dad was a bit of a badass, you know." He chuckled.

Talia cringed. "Well, you're halfway there if that helps."

He laughed a little harder. "I suppose I deserve that. You're quite the survivor yourself. I'm impressed, sweetheart."

Talia rolled her eyes hard. "I _told_ you I'm not a baby didn't I?"

"Alright, alright, I never said you were. But that," he gestured behind them, "is exactly why I took you to the Vault in the first place."

Talia huffed, sick of hearing his grand reasoning for what he'd done. "Well they can't have been _everywhere_, but whatever. We know how to slay them now so…" She trailed off and turned, walking backwards for a spell to check their tail.

"I'll call you Grognak shall I?" he joked, referring to the old comics about a barbarian hero with a big sword and bigger bloodlust. "So these security friends of yours, they didn't teach you to kill a supermutant?"

"We don't get them over that way. And they're security, so they mainly know how to kill time, since they don't travel anywhere."

"I see. I've heard some things about that tower, honey. I hope you're alright there."

"Well, people like a story, Dad. Don't believe everything you hear. You know how the Overseer twisted everything."

"That's true, but I'm afraid some of these stories about that Tenpenny fellow are simply irrefutable facts."

Talia wondered how on earth he would know, being fresher than her to the world at this point, but didn't bother to challenge him. "Well he's never really around. It's a big place."

"All the same, be careful. He used to own slaves you know."

"Oh my God," Talia exclaimed deeply, and James let her off taking the Lord's name in vain with a raised eyebrow and a solemn nod. She'd heard of a slave operation in the wasteland somewhere courtesy of Herbert and his adventures, but it seemed like ancient history. "And that's still going on?"

"As far as I'm aware. The wasteland is largely lawless, Talia. It can be very dangerous."

That _was _an irrefutable fact, but it was a double edged sword. And anyway, if Burke hadn't warned her about a significant possibility of being rounded up by slavers, she wasn't going to worry about it. She had enough to watch out for. "Well like I say, he's not around. He's basically senile, anyway." She frowned slightly, realising he really did seem a few steps short of a home run. "Anyway, can you _stop_ acting like the Vault was so great. I told you what happened."

"I know, but it's hardly comparable, Tali."

A snicker burst through Talia's scowl as she heard herself. "Come on, you gotta admit it was _a bit_ like forced labour attending one of the poetry nights."

"Don't be so ridiculous… now for the people that were 'volunteered' to contribute, I'm not so sure."

Talia was relieved as they reminisced about goofy stuff until they reached the great bridge to Rivet City. She messed up her hair and buried her face into her scarf, just in case anyone on the gate recalled anything about the last time she was here. But it was months ago and she and Burke had breezed through smoothly. She figured she would be safe if she avoided the hotel, which seemed likely as James didn't appear to have any bottle caps, and damned if she was forking out those prices.

"This is it!" he exclaimed, a wild spark flickering in his eyes once more. "Once I tell Madison about the G.E.C.K. she'll see that the project will work! It's so close, I can feel it!"

Talia quirked her brows at him. Gesticulating wildly with his birdnest hair, unkempt beard, and found clothing, he made quite the madman. "Dad, you look like a bum. She's going to take one look at you and think you've been doing chems in a ditch for three months."

"Nonsense! Madison knows me, she'll understand the importance of this."

Talia grabbed his arm and made him halt their approach. "Dad. Seriously. You look like s- awful. I'll be surprised if security even let you in. Let's go in and get cleaned up first. And please don't give any of this mad scientist talk at the gate. I really want to sit down and eat something that died _this _century."

"It's not 'mad scientist' talk, Tali-"

"Dad!"

He dialled down to normal again, sighing. "Alright, you're probably right. Let's go."

* * *

Within Rivet City, Talia convinced James to take a shower on the common deck while she headed down one level to _The Muddy Rudder_, a rough working men's bar in the bowels of the ship. One of the residents told her she could find a hairdresser there and she had no other information on which to contest this. Anyway, it was a good enough excuse to discreetly scout the place alone first. She didn't want to run into any trouble because of last time with James in tow if she could help it.

She skipped down the steps, hopped up to the bar and asked the owner, Belle, a necessarily salty middle aged woman, where she could find the hairdresser.

"Right over there," she pointed behind Talia to the far corner. "You better be drinking somethin' too, this isn't a goddamn salon."

"Sure thing. I could go for a coffee, I'm knackered."

Belle laughed heartily right in her face. "You're cute. Do I look like a barrister? I got beer and whisky. A bit of wine, for the rare lady that comes down here."

Talia laughed along with her. "Well alright. Beer."

She'd never really drank much beer but it went down well considering how hungry and thirsty she was after the yomp here. She'd drunk half of the bottle when she got to the far side of the room where she froze as she spotted the hairdresser.

He did say he wanted to live on the surface. And he was a hairdresser according to the G.O.A.T.

Butch.

_Why didn't _I _shower before coming here?_ Before she had a chance to backtrack he'd noticed her and beckoned her over with his crooked smile and what sounded like genuine pleasure to see her.

"Well if it isn't my best gal, the one who sprung me from the Vault! I think I owe this lovely lady a drink!"

Talia smoothed her hair back down and failed to suppress a smile. "Got one already, but thanks," she waggled her beer bottle and quickly took a seat a safe distance from him.

"Oh, startin' early huh?"

"She _insisted,_" Talia defended, nodding back to the bar. "So you really left the Vault?"

"Yeah, Amata took over and opened the doors. She said we can come and go, but Butch ain't about that. I came out here to start my own gang and tear up the wastes!"

"And cut hair?"

"Well… not everyone is cool enough to ride with me. It's just somethin' to do while I'm hangin' around this place." He leant back and looked away as if he couldn't care less.

Talia raised her eyebrows. "I hear you're the only one doing it."

"The one and only! I'm the best, baby!"

He grinned as Talia giggled. It didn't matter what he was talking about, he was always the best in his eyes. He had been in hers too, briefly. "Why are you even doing the job the G.O.A.T. set you anyway? I thought you didn't want to be a hairdresser?"

"Hey- I'm a _barber_, there's a difference. And it's alright out here. All the gals in the city come to Butch and his magic hands." He winked.

Talia grimaced. "I thought barbers only cut men's hair? They love your magic hands too?"

"I… shut up!" He flung a balled up beer label at her from across the table and she squealed as it bounced off her arm. "What are _you_ doin' here anyway, short stuff?"

Talia crossed her arms on the table. "You'll never believe it… I found my dad. He's trying to restart some science project here."

"Science project?" Butch chortled. "There a science fair or somethin' I don't know about?"

"_Obviously_ not," Talia protested, unable to help herself giggling too. "He's going down to the lab later. Sounds like something big."

"Sounds like a lotta nerd stuff, doll. I gotta tell ya I'm gonna stop listening if you keep talkin'."

Talia sighed as he pulled out a mirror and a comb. She admitted she still wasn't over his looks, but she couldn't believe she was ever into a boy that _preened_. "Well, he needs a haircut. And a shave. Can you do that today?"

"Sure, whatever."

"You're gonna shit when you see him Butch. He looks like Wasteland Santa."

"For real? Well I'll... barber the hell out of him, doll, don't you worry. What about you?"

"Oh I'm fine," she held up her hand and swigged her beer. "I gotta go find him before he does anything stupid."

"Yeah? Okay. Catch you later, maybe."

"Sure." Talia downed her remaining beer and stood. She paused before heading for the stairs out of the bar. "I, uh… I heard about your mom. In the Vault. I'm sorry."

Butch didn't look up. "Yeah… well…"

She waited a second, unsure whether she was prying. She'd learned from Mrs. Palmer who was killed since she left, by security or the radroach invasion that exacerbated the whole chaotic night. Butch's mom was one of them.

She put down her bottle and left the table.

"Hey Talia." She turned. "It's good to see you." She smiled reservedly but said nothing. "And you look good, you know that?"

She shot him an incredulous look, questioning both his tact and his eyesight. She glanced down at her dirt covered khakis.

"Well, you know- considering," he smirked in response to her raised eyebrows.

She sighed and dismissed him with a hand, turning away before he could see her smile.

* * *

Talia watched from the stairs in the Rivet City science lab as James slowly convinced the doctor he spoke of, Madison Li, to join him in restarting Project Purity. He had already been here once, leaving with nothing more than a cold rebuttal. That was why he'd gone to Vault 112 when he had, with the aim of bringing back confirmation that his ideas about the G.E.C.K. were correct.

Li looked similar in age to him, hair greying but long, smoothed back into a neat bun. She spoke at first with pursed lips, clipping her words as if restraining something. The lab in which they stood was extensive. It took up two levels in one entire end of the ship. Creaky and dank though much of the ship was, smartly turned out scientists in lab coats buzzed around the experimental setups and large machines, the function of which Talia couldn't even guess, and vibrant fruit and vegetables lay in trays along one whole side of the room.

It was impressive. And her dad was slowly convincing Li to shelve it, just as he had shelved their joint project, so she could help him pick up where he left off nineteen years ago. At first she was resistant, but surprise at his successful return caused her to hear him out, and Talia could see James get his foot in the door and inch it open all the way.

"If it was anybody but you suggesting this, I'd have you run out of the city," she commented when she finally agreed, nervous excitement slipping through her frustration. "Dammit James, when this is all over you owe me a drink!"

Talia felt he already owed a lot of people a damn brewery. She didn't see why everything ran on his schedule. She watched with amusement as Li told him it would take a few days to get a team together, prepare her lab, and to be briefed properly by him on what exactly they were walking into. She wouldn't have put it past him to drag her out into the wasteland right then in her high heels. But he agreed, leaving to search the lab for paper and pencils.

Talia was captivated by the softly spoken woman who stood with such poise in the face of James' mania. There was a gravity to her, and Talia was compelled to approach.

"Doctor Li? Uh, hello, I'm-"

"Oh, my heavens… you're James' daughter aren't you? I didn't see you over there. You look so much like him." Talia blinked as Li assessed every inch of her face. "I thought you were supposed to be in a Vault somewhere?"

"Uh… they didn't agree."

Li let out a bitter chuckle. "Caught in the aftermath of James' decisions too? Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It's been stressful ever since your father showed up again a few months ago, after being gone for so long. He left for the old lab and didn't return. I feared the worst. Now he's back and I've just agreed to try again at Project Purity. I'm not even sure why."

Talia didn't flinch at what Li thought to be an offensive remark. In the older woman's eyes she recognised the pain of betrayal. "What is it you do here?" she asked, genuinely curious.

She brightened up marginally. "This is the Rivet City Science lab. It's taken many long years to put together, but we've done well for ourselves. Our work on portable fusion power and hydroponics are coming along quite nicely, if not quite according to schedule."

"Hydroponics? That's growing food, right?"

"Yes, that's right. Plants grown without soil, just the right water-nutrient mixture. As I'm sure you've noticed, the soil outside doesn't really support anything anymore, so there's little to no farming to speak of around here.

"And the water in the river isn't much better due to all the contaminants and radiation. But we've had significant success in the lab, after a lot of effort, at growing useful amounts of clean fruits and vegetables for the city population, and beyond."

"Beyond? Like other settlements?"

"Yes, the city sells some of the produce to traders when we've had a good yield."

"Does anyone else do this?"

"I don't believe so. There are no other labs in the area that I know of, let alone which have this capability."

"Wow, then I think I've actually eaten some," Talia commented, thinking of the fresh fruit she sometimes found on offer at Tenpenny Tower.

"Hm. I hope it was to your liking."

"Delicious- regardless that the alternatives have six eyes or came from someone's pre-war lunchbox." Li almost cracked a smile, and Talia felt a fresh anger at her dad. "Why did you agree to help him?"

"What? What do you mean? Why would you ask that?" Li retorted somewhat defensively.

"I mean, you made all this. And he just shows up because he's ready, asks you to leave it, after he left you before. Believe me, I know what it's like."

She sighed with the weight of the world. "It's true.. Purity was our life and… he walked out on all of us. I understand it was to protect you but… we were forced to forget it and move on."

"Exactly! So..?"

"We were excited about changing the world back then. I suppose... Look, I don't have to justify myself to you, or anyone. If James has convincing data that a G.E.C.K. is what we were missing, then it's worth another shot- if we can find one. Clean water, lots of it, no radiation, no muck. Imagine."

Talia didn't have to. There had technically been a water ration in place in the Vault, but since the population was so low it hadn't been a huge problem.

She could tell Li had a lot on her mind, so she changed the subject before she tired of talking. Since discovering that even she wasn't born in the Vault, she realised that of everyone she'd spoken to about her mother, only James had ever actually known her. "Did you… did you know my mom?"

Li's eyes widened momentarily and she faltered, as if unsure whether she should speak about it. But she softened as Talia waited earnestly, with a little doe-eye for good measure. "Yes... Your mother was, well she was a good woman. A very dedicated scientist."

"You don't have to be diplomatic with me," Talia urged softly. She wasn't sure what she was looking for. She just wanted to hear it from someone else.

"I'm not trying to be," Li contested, but her demeanour shifted as she relaxed one level of restraint she had placed on herself. "We didn't always agree, but I respected her work. Your father… loved her very much. It was a shame she died. She was so excited to meet you."

"I see." Talia offered a small smile in thanks. "And was my dad just as ridiculous as he is now?"

"Huh!" A muted snort escaped the scientist. She seemed relieved of a change of subject. "You know, he doesn't seem to have changed at all. Of course we were all as passionate about this project as he was back then. Or I should say, as he _is._

"It's infectious, isn't it?"

Talia wasn't sure if Li had feelings for James that biased her take on the situation, or if perhaps after twenty years she now found vegetables morbidly boring and fancied some drama. But then, what was her own excuse for following him even this far? She wouldn't argue he was sick, maybe she had caught something from him.

"If I may ask," Li interrupted her thoughts. "And sorry to be so trivial, but… why on earth is he wearing that? Is it some sort of experiment?"

Talia glanced over at James, still wearing the coat she scavenged from Vault 112. She may have taken some liberties with her selection. "I asked the same thing, Doctor, but he won't say."

She left Li to rescue some test vegetables from Dogmeat, and wondered if she should just go back to the tower. Dad would have his team back soon. He hadn't intended to bring her along anyway and she wasn't really sure what she thought of his mission, other than noticing he didn't seem to care about ruining others' to complete it. But Li was brilliant, accomplished, level headed. It was hard for Talia to imagine she was just caught up in her dad's emotive spiel.

Hard, but not impossible. She'd seen what was possible with words and charisma alone while out with Burke. And she had to admit, her dad was charismatic. Some of Li's colleagues were gathering around him, asking him about the project like he was a celebrity. But he wasn't lapping up the attention like Herbert would. He was politely trying to turn them away while remaining intensely focussed on his paper, where he was sketching everything he'd learned from Dr. Braun before his unfortunate transformation.

There was a fire under him, and they were all close to being engulfed in the flames.


	19. The Waters, Beers and Tequilas of Life

They said you shouldn't hang out with your ex. But what did they know? They hadn't been through the shitshow Talia had, and they probably died in the war anyway. Why should 'they' make the rules anymore?

Talia had asked around about Dr. Li, even finding herself unable to resist breaking into her cabin to snoop. Just out of curiosity. As it turned out, the woman was only on the city council too, and she seemed fairly influential. Because of her the city had a limited source of clean food and water, and she leant the considerable weight of her opinion to its hitherto successful leadership. In twenty years she had done a lot to 'change the world' as she said, even if only one small corner of it.

James had created a glorified janitor. Talia didn't understand why he couldn't have stayed on the surface, lived in the city, continued investigating Purity while creating real change elsewhere at the same time. They might have had a harder life, but it could have been happier. And she couldn't help feeling the burden of matching Li's contribution to science lay partially on her shoulders, whether James thought so or not.

And that was why she was spending her nights at The Muddy Rudder with someone who didn't care about any of that- Butch.

"Butch, I wanna thank you- oh, whoops," she righted the beer bottle she knocked over as she gestured across the table. "You were the only one from the Vault who didn't- _hic_\- blame me for everything, or use me for something." She swigged from her bottle, wondering how Amata was faring without her to take the flak. She scrunched her nose and put the bottle back down, searching for one that wasn't empty.

Butch paused his in attempts to catch a peanut in his mouth. "Blame you? Are you crazy? I'd never be out here if it wasn't for your dad in the first place."

"Whoa," she stopped to bask in the revelation. "That's so true. Is this like… fate? _We _never figured out how to get out did we? Oh my God, he kinda saved the Vault, right?" She shook herself out of it and picked a fresh beer from the pile in front of them. "No, no, I'm meant to be _mad_ at him.

"Hey, I should be mad at _you._" She spilled some beer pointing at Butch with the bottle neck.

"Me? What did I do?"

"You? You- _hic- _you used me. Ugh, why am I even talking to you?"

He leant in. "Maybe you can't help it. I know I'm irresistible, don't worry about it."

"I will throw this drink over you again, I swear to God." She brandished her beer and angled herself away from him.

"Alright, geez, calm down. You didn't _have_ to cover me in Nuka in front of everyone you know."

Talia remembered with satisfaction drenching Butch in the cafeteria after she found the details of their failed relationship all over the grapevine. "Well you didn't _have_ to talk about me. Or be such a shithead."

"Babe, it wasn't like that… I just didn't know how-"

"Leave it out Butch, you're a bad liar. And I'm not your babe." She sighed. Mistaking his interest for genuine feeling had just made the rest of it that much more humiliating. "Don't pretend. Just be yourself, it's fine. I know we're both a little bit heartless. Maybe that's why we were pretty good, for about ten minutes huh?"

She raised her beer and drank without waiting for him. So much had happened since they were seventeen. She couldn't be bothered to hold a grudge any longer, and she wouldn't see any of their peers again anyway. What was the point in saving face anymore? To be honest she hadn't the energy to keep hating him. Not since Burke. Funny how she hadn't really known love until she had something to compare to. She gazed into the distance as she thought of him, wondering whether she was repeating the same mistake.

Butch's cocksure tones soon drew her attention again. "You were pretty cool for a girl, Tali."

Talia snorted. "'_Were'_? What happened? Did I lose my cool? Or grow a-?"

Butch smirked as she paused. "A what?" Talia sniggered as she searched for a word. "Come on, say it. I know you wanna talk dirty."

Talia threw a handful of peanuts at him. "I do _not._ Ugh, I swear you still think with your… tunnel snake." They collapsed in a fit of drunken giggles, forgetting what they had been talking about. Or were they arguing? All Talia could think about was that stupid gang name.

"What was I _saying_?" she appealed when she regained some composure.

"That depends. Before or after you started talking about my-"

"Butch!" she interrupted, snickering again. "Be _quiet. _You're so gross."

"Ooh, someone's uptight nowadays," Butch teased.

Talia rolled her eyes. "_No_. I just don't- _hic-_ want to talk about that, okay?"

He shrugged and drank while she racked her brain for what it was she'd felt compelled to tell him.

"Oh, right, yeah." She sprawled across the table reaching just short of his leather _Tunnel Snakes _jacket. "I was _saying_ thank you. Though fuck knows if I should. But you're not all judgmental or crazy. You're just here to- _hic_\- get drunk, and I appreciate that."

"Hell yeah babe, always." He raised his beer in toast and Talia realised she'd lost hers again, when an almighty crash erupted from across the room.

The pair looked around to see a burly man upturning chairs and tables with his girth as he pursued Dogmeat around the bar, yelling something about stolen jerky. Dogmeat led him on a merry chase, deftly weaving between the tables and the other patrons' legs. There was a cheer as the man tripped. He got up and immediately punched the first person he saw. There was a bigger cheer when that person punched back.

A crowd formed around the fight and Talia led Butch along the top of the tables to get a better view. She laughed and steadied herself on his shoulder as Brock, the bar's bouncer, crashed past their table and elbowed his way through the crowd, throwing himself into the brawl to a raucous ovation.

* * *

Burke swore his vision was turning grey as Mrs. Cheng droned on about her husband in the Federalist Lounge. Something about a stupid man, wishing he'd fall from the mezzanine and land on the memo spike on Gustavo's desk.

"Don't you think you're overreacting a little, Mrs. Cheng?"

The elderly woman, a neighbour in one of the penthouse suites, laughed bitterly. "Ha! You try being married to him for five minutes. I dare you!"

Burke had had enough. This was not how he saw his evening panning out when he came down for a drink. "Then why don't you stop talking about it and just kill him?"

Cheng blinked several times. "Oh, my, well, I didn't really mean… just that I wouldn't _mind_, you know. Besides, I'd never get away with it. I wouldn't know how to make it look accidental!" She laughed nervously.

"I won't tell anyone, Mrs. Cheng." His face was deadpan. Albeit mainly due to being bored half to death, but it had the pleasing effect of unsettling the old windbag.

"Oh… well I… no, I couldn't. But you would, wouldn't you? You could use that gun of yours and no one would know?"

He debated whether she might complain more or less if he actually did it. He could do with some stress relief. "Whatever gave you that idea?" he questioned glibly.

She shifted, probably bewildered at finding herself complaining to someone who could actually give her what she said she wanted. "Oh, I don't know… silly stories, er…"

He wasn't really in the mood for this. "Why don't you just have another drink and figure it out later?"

She relaxed and chuckled. "No amount of drink is going to make my husband less stupid. But it'll certainly help me forget about him, won't it?"

"I hope so, or I might just go kill myself," Burke muttered under his breath.

"What?" she asked, turning her ear toward him as the old and deaf tended to.

"I said I'll go get you a refill myself," he answered loudly through a charming smile. He left the old woman swiftly, heading out to the lobby for a break. This was the problem with residents who didn't need to work.

Gustavo was wrapping up at his desk. "Could this kill a man, Gustavo?" Burke pondered, ambling over to the spindle that held a pile of notes.

"It wouldn't do him any good… why?"

"Just thinking about throwing myself off the staircase."

"I don't follow you."

Burke shook his head. "It's like God's waiting room in there. Is that what I've got to look forward to?"

Gustavo chuckled at the sudden outburst. "How do you mean?"

Burke sighed wearily. He didn't particularly care that it was his birthday, but neither did he want to spend it with the geriatrics who propped up the bar early in the week. "Oh, I think I've just been shown a vision of the future. I'm fifty next year. That's it isn't it? It's all downhill to becoming-" he grimaced, "one of _them_."

Gustavo laughed a little too much for Burke's liking. "Come on, leave a little hope for the rest of us."

"I'd love to, my friend. But I fear it's contagious. Or genetic."

"What?"

"Being an interminable bore."

Gustavo chuckled again. "I think it's one of those things that will happen, unless you make sure it doesn't. You'll be alright, you've got a sharp mind."

"Not after that conversation," Burke quipped.

"Ha! Well, you're more likely to end up like Tenpenny if you ask me."

"What makes you say that?"

Gustavo cocked his head to one side. "Well: VIP, you're already shunning the company of the residents, you've been drinking as much as him lately…"

Burke glanced down at his drink. "That's a lie. It's not humanly possible." All the same, he put the glass on the desk, thirst suddenly waning. "I think you're onto something there though. I need to take measures now."

"See. Not just a pretty face."

"Christ, I wouldn't want to meet you in a dark alley if you weren't even that."

Gustavo laughed. Burke could tell he was in a good mood; he was almost impossible to annoy when he was seeing his secret widow.

"What you gonna do?"

Burke ran a hand over his jaw. "Preventative measures, Gustavo. The committee should be well into planning the Christmas party now. I'll make sure it's like one from the early days."

Gustavo nodded, contradicting his tone. "You think you can manage that?"

Burke glared. "I might be a year older, Gustavo, but I'm not falling apart yet."

Gustavo held up his hands. "That's not what I meant. I'm just sayin'... you don't scream _party person_ lately. A few weeks ago you were a different man."

Burke knew what he was getting at. He had to admit he didn't know why he was trying to enjoy the bar when Talia wasn't around.

Gustavo continued. "Well it'll be good for you to get your teeth into something other than the glass you put them in before bed."

Burke couldn't help but laugh a little. "Been working on that one all day?"

"Actually thought it up just now."

"Impressive. You'll be needing a lie down then."

"Early night, for sure. You need a rescue from that bar?"

"No, I've gone off the idea of any more drink for some reason. Besides, I think you have somewhere to be." Burke raised an eyebrow.

"Me? Nowhere," Gustavo lied. "So if you're not drinking…do I stand more or less chance of winning at poker on Friday?"

Burke waved him off. "Moot point. You lose every year," he called over his shoulder as he left him to his evening, more than a little envious.

"Only because it'd be rude to beat you on your birthday," Gustavo returned as Burke entered the elevator.

He entered his suite, lighting a cigarette. A quiet evening was better than a dull one, and it seemed there were plenty more of those to come. He wondered what Talia was doing. His man had sent word she had indeed made it to Rivet City. What had her negligent father planned for them? He'd learned that Talia now suspected there was more to his sudden disappearance than she first thought after discovering his whereabouts. Second hand information again, much to Burke's chagrin. Why was she so open with Gustavo? He thought he knew her better than anybody, at least since she began her life on the surface. But she wouldn't even tell him what she intended to do out there.

A brief gust of hostility crossed him as he wondered why Gustavo held her confidence. But no, the man treated her more like one of his soldiers, and he was well occupied with his current woman. But if everything she'd told the Chief were true, why had she even left? _Stubborn girl._ He seethed all over again at how she'd blanked him on her way out. All she had to do was sit pretty in the tower, sulk if she must, and she'd have had what she apparently wanted by now.

And so would he. He replayed several junctures in his mind, combing for any way he could have played it differently so that he would still have an associate sleeping next door. But that was it, he wasn't sure he could have her as an associate and for himself. She had pushed back at his orders already, how could he ever demand more and retain her affections? Yet he still wondered _what if, why_ hadn't he ended their careful dance already. He shook himself out of it. Right now he had neither, so the whole exercise was pointless and of no solace.

She was supposed to be working for him and yet there she was, not in person, but in his head, dominating his every waking moment. He cursed her under his breath. He cursed Gustavo for letting her leave. He cursed Littlehorn for demanding she work alone before it was time. What did he know of his plans? He was little more than a penpusher with a reputation and eerily little need to sleep. Without his interference everything would have been going to plan. He imagined ending the miserable toad's life with his own damned fountain pen, making him sign his idiotic orders in his own blood.

But there were some things even Burke would only dream about. It couldn't be done, and it made him furious. To add insult to injury, he could see the old bastard's face contorted in amusement as his employee's _eccentric_ plan crumbled. Even if Talia showed at the office after her current business concluded, he already knew the man would somehow have all the details of the recent hitch. He would be unconvinced the system could be relied upon. She would have to work twice as hard to prove she really was in, despite everything she had done. Despite everything Burke had shown to be possible. He held no appreciation of what the project required, he would derail it and destroy what Burke had created out of a desire for speed or a simple wish to see a _neutral mark,_ as he had once labelled her, suffer.

The thought provoked a roiling heat in his belly. He would not hand her over to that contemptible fool. She was his girl, he would not see even his ghoulish, lecherous gaze touch her, boss or no. To Littlehorn she was a tool, just as he was. To Burke… she was a headache, a dream, a pain in the neck and a near constant emptiness in his stomach.

He lit another cigarette and sank deeper into his chair. His eyes passed over the phone in the corner. It had been damnably quiet for a week and he knew it would not be ringing any time tonight either.

* * *

Talia held her sore head in one hand as she slouched over a desk in the science lab. "Do we have to go today? It sounds big, surely it wouldn't hurt to spend one more day going over things?"

James scowled. "No. The team is all here and we've prepared as much as we can. It's time, hangover or not. I thought you'd have a little more sense than that now Talia."

Talia would have rolled her eyes, but the room was doing enough of that for her. "I'm not hungover. I told you this ship gives me a headache. It's all the noise and the rust, and I swear it was a bit rocky last night.

"Does anyone have any more painkillers?" she called out generally. "I mean this is a lab."

James dismissed her with pursed lips. He didn't believe her and didn't care, or more likely just cared more about his stupid water.

Janice Kaplinski, Dr. Li's Chief Botanist, sat down next to Talia. "A lab for plants. But you're in luck," she smiled, sliding over a tub of pills.

"Oh you lifesaver," Talia gushed, washing a few down with her Nuka Cola.

Janice was ten years older than Talia and had been with Dr. Li about as long. When she'd heard she was Chief Botanist, Talia expected a full metal nerd type with a thing for plants because she had it rough when she was a kid or something. But Janice just needed a job when Li needed help, and here she was. She had become an expert, not that there was much competition, but she wasn't any more attached to fruits and vegetables than she needed to be as a scientist protecting her results. Talia kept her own story quiet despite the parallels, if one could even compare apples and assassins.

"Don't go anywhere til you can walk straight, huh? Can't have you trashing the place. These vegetables are more valuable to us than you right now," Janice joked.

"Ugh, and more use. I swear the… rust here is really strong."

"Or really cheap," Janice winked knowingly.

"Right," Talia agreed, noticing her pockets didn't really feel any lighter. But then she hadn't really had to put her hand in them all night. "You should've come down. It was wild."

"Oh I bet it was. I've been there plenty, but I can't deal with the hangovers now. Besides, this is kind of exciting isn't it? I've heard Doctor Li talk about Project Purity, but I never thought I'd be going there. I didn't want to get kicked off the team for not making it in today."

Janice clearly looked up to Li as both a saviour and a brilliant mind. Talia could see why. "I guess," she agreed tiredly. After days of seeing more real scientists turn up at the lab, all of them excited about her dad's lost project, after feeling the mounting sense of anticipation amongst them, Talia had to admit that maybe he was actually kind of smart after all. She was curious to see what he had built before she was born, and to see more of him in this world where he was… _somebody_.

"Talia, can I speak to you a moment," James stated rather than asked.

"Fine," Talia groaned, heaving herself up.

"I need your help, honey." He spoke quietly, leading her away from the others. "I took a look at the lab last night. It's in the Jefferson Memorial just outside of town. I'm afraid it looks like mutants have moved in."

"What? But weren't you there in the summer with no problem?"

"Yes. Perhaps they saw my movements and it got them interested again. Or maybe I left a window open," he laughed, and Talia wondered what he thought was so funny. "We're going to need to clear them out before we take the team down there."

Talia breathed a sigh of relief. Moving in was going to be delayed.

"Get yourself together, and we'll head down there as soon as you're feeling better."

Talia blinked sluggishly. "_We?_"

"Yes," James said quietly. "Madison and her team are scientists, not fighters. From what I've seen, you've learned to handle yourself very well, and anyway you're the most trained one here. Together we managed alright, and I can't ask you to go alone. We're our only chance. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't absolutely necessary."

Talia swallowed a bout of nausea as she thought about getting close to more of those green giants _on purpose_. Or maybe she just got up too quickly. "Couldn't we hire someone to do that? We're not exactly experts."

James shook his head. "The Brotherhood won't even speak to us. I've tried."

"What about mercs?"

"Do you know any?"

Talia closed her eyes in thought, and realised that though she knew Burke hired them all the time, she never learned the details. Not even an outfit name, let alone where to find them or how much they'd cost. "No," she sighed.

"Well then. You'd better go get something to eat. Come find me when you're ready."

* * *

James led Talia out of the city, skirting the river down toward the twentieth century monument on the bank. He and his team had previously turned the chambers below into a live-in experimental facility. It contained the purifier itself, though the focus right now, he said, was the old computers they used to work on. One of them may contain information on where they could find a G.E.C.K. They needed to get the power back online in order to check them out, which basically meant powering up the entire project. _In for a penny, in for a pound_, she thought.

"So," he chatted as they walked. "Quite a turn up finding Butch here, isn't it?"

"I thought so, but I guess everyone hears about the city. Good place to stay while you figure everything out."

"Yes, it's been a bastion of civilisation in the wasteland as long as I can remember."

"So why didn't you go live there? Instead of the Vault?"

"Because... Your mother and I discussed what to do when you were born… It's one of the safest places, but not _the _safest. Plus, spending time there long term, all that rust… you can suffer a lot worse than your, ahem, headache, believe me."

"I see." Talia didn't press further.

James tried to break the silence. "So, you've been spending time with him. Are you two… you know, again?"

Talia cringed. "Oh..! No. No it's not like that."

"I see. Well that's… good. Don't let him mistreat you. It's very mature you can be friends though, sweetheart."

"Sure." Talia winced through his weak and late attempts at fatherly advice. "Bit late Dad."

"Oh." He sounded wounded, and she offered him a candy from the bag in her pocket. They were a pitiful pair. He accepted and continued. "I just wondered how you're getting on. My daughter has been out here for four months all on her own, and I find she's become quite the wasteland adventurer. I thought maybe there's someone who sees what a smart, beautiful young woman you are, as I do?"

"Er… that sounds a bit weird, Dad."

"Oh, you know what I mean. I'm just trying to compliment you, you don't have to be so hostile. I know you think I deserve it, and maybe I do, but I'm just excited to have you by my side for this, sweetheart. This project is so important, it was so important to your mother, I'm glad you can be here for it."

Talia's voice softened a little. "Oh… well, thanks. For not treating me like a kid anymore, I guess."

"Well, you've proven you're not. So?" He pressured brightly.

Talia winced again. She hadn't talked about anything like this with him ever, really. Jonas, sometimes. "Well… I guess there's someone… from the tower."

"You don't sound very sure. Early days?"

"I don't know. Not really. Sort of."

James just cleared his throat.

"I don't know if he likes me like that, you know? I thought so, but we had a fight…"

"Well people tend to fight with anyone over things they care about, or over silly things with people they care about."

Talia tried to get her muddy head around that one, giving up and scoffing another candy. "So, was it Butch or my sweetroll that I cared more about at my tenth birthday?"

James laughed. "If my memory serves correctly, you definitely preferred that sweetroll. I hope you're not still punching boys you like. "

"Huh? No! I didn't like him then," she grimaced. "I _hated _him for taking my food. I remember writing it in my diary."

James chuckled. "I mean now. You'd knock them out, from what I've seen."

"Oh... No! No, that was just an argument." She looked at her boots as she trod through the dust. She couldn't decide if it was a stupid argument or not. She could only remember the feel of his hand grasping her arm, her shock, resentment, the burning in her cheeks, yet wanting to kiss him so badly, and the conflicting thrill when he pushed her to her bed. She thought about that a lot. She tried to force the thought from her mind in present company.

"I'm sure he's forgotten all about it," James assured her. "Offer an olive branch when you're back and I'm sure it will work out."

She wasn't sure what she could offer, given the price of making his acquaintance to begin with. But she supposed she could count on him to have it worked out to the cent by now. She hoped she was worthy of that, at least. She was surprised he let her walk, that he left after almost convincing her she was going to suffer up in her suite. It had rang of indifference to her ears. But Gustavo was so sure she was wrong, and he knew the man well. Maybe even her dad was right on this one.

"We're almost there. Let's be careful," James warned, causing Talia to sharpen up her attention. He stopped and pulled out one of his drawings of the facility layout. "There are some sentry guns in there- here. If we can get to those and they still have power, they'll do a lot of the work for us."

"That sounds like a plan," Talia agreed, relieved he seemed to have thought this through. If Li hadn't forced him to wait, she wasn't sure he'd have even scouted the place first. She studied the map. "So if they cover these areas, we can move to… here, and here, while still covered. Maybe lure them into this zone. I don't fancy playing hide and seek with these guys. If we have to, we can go along… here, and nothing should be able to sneak up behind us. How far is it to the guns?"

"I'm offended. I drew this to scale, Tali."

She looked again. "Of course you did. Okay. Maybe two minutes. We can cover each other that far, I'm sure. What?" James was smiling in a way she'd never seen before. Slightly maniacally, if she was honest.

"You're very good at this. I was wrong to coop you up, wasn't I?"

She felt a warmth bloom in her chest. "Well, yes. But I only learned about sneaking around corridors and stuff because of the Vault, so I guess it's not so black and white. You seem a bit excited about this?"

He took the map back and stuffed it into his pocket, clearing his throat. "Well, I've been cooped up too." He stopped as though keeping the rest of his thoughts to himself.

Talia checked her magazine was full, stifling a smile as she did so. It wasn't usual father daughter activity, not by the Vault's standards anyway, but she couldn't help having a good time. She'd already accepted she was a little crazy when she took up Burke on his offer in Megaton. In the Vault, _hunt-the-mutant_ was a tasteless kids' game. In the wasteland it was basically a community service.

"You should keep the shotgun since it's simpler to use and I'm a better shot. The spread will make up for that."

James scoffed in mock offence. "I see. I'm glad you have such confidence in your old man."

"Well it's a lot more fun than this, so I'll take it if you want," she offered her assault rifle only to see him shake his head. "As I thought," she mocked back. "As I said, the spread's big, and the mutants are huge, so really just make sure you're facing the right way up the corridor and you can't go wrong.

"Okay. Against all common sense, are you ready to go hunt some mutants?"

James set his sights on the marble dome structure that housed their goal. Huge intake pipes fed between the columns that held up the roof. Water would be coursing through them again soon, and this time it would come out clean. "Let's go get my purifier back."


	20. Let's Not Shit Ourselves

Talia sat on the floor of the museum gift shop, beneath the Jefferson Memorial, surveying the carnage around her. Dead supermutants littered the hallways along with some other… things. She deliberately turned her head away as one of the atrocious corpses lingered in her peripheral vision. She still hadn't quite been able to look at one properly. It was a horrifying amalgamation of too many arms sprouting from a bald, lumpy mass of flesh, with an all too humanoid torso rising out of it, and worst, the head, shrivelled and melted into a permanent frown, empty eye sockets and lack of ears leaving only its mouth tentacles to lash wildly at its surroundings. It was an abomination. James told her they had been dubbed 'centaurs'. Whoever came up with that name had a sick sense of humour.

Unfortunately, in the other direction she saw Dogmeat tugging unceremoniously at one such tentacle. Talia yelled at him to stop but he ignored her until she'd pelted him with at least ten empty bullet casings.

"Yeah, you oughta look ashamed," she scolded as he sidled over to her, head bowed and tail batting shyly. "Keep your tongue to yourself boy," she warned, dodging his licks as she cuddled him, "I know where it's been."

Which was more than could be said for James. She'd foolishly felt quite excited to tackle this with him, despite the dangers. He was obviously no stranger to a fight and his restless energy, while scaring her a little earlier, innervated her when it had become focussed on this one task in front of them. Maybe this was the real James she hadn't seen in the Vault, the one she could actually relate to. A little crazy, big ideas, and a deep wound that showed in his ferocity when threatened.

But despite agreeing to her plan, she didn't find the synchronicity that she and Burke enjoyed in the city, or even in the ghoul tunnels by Tenpenny Tower. She didn't even find the cohesion she'd planned on using to move them through the facility. The three of them were alive but the whole thing had been a shambles. Far from an admittedly unusual bonding experience, she felt like a passenger to his long held ambitions, something that stung all the more as he didn't seem to see it that way.

She supposed even the best battle plans could still go wrong, but not working together seemed like shooting yourself in the foot (or the hand, if you were a centaur). She'd lost him at one point, or maybe he just forgot that only he knew the place like… well, the back of his hand. _And _he hadn't even thought to tell her about the centaurs before going in. She wouldn't have wasted a good chocolate bar on the way down here if she'd known it was coming right back up.

Right now he was already fiddling with the computers that occupied the gift shop, rather than assess their situation while they could afford a break. Talia finished refilling her magazines and took a mental note of how many rounds she had left in her bag. Dogmeat would give her warning if anything was still moving in this place, but she wiped a bead of sweat from her brow all the same.

"You wanna get some fresh ammo out while you can Dad or what?" she badgered him, moving to where he stood.

"What? Oh, yes, good idea. It's over there." He pointed to his bag by the wall.

Talia shook her head but saved her energy, thinking it easier to just get it for him than argue. After a brief rummage she returned. Seeing his attention was still on the computers she pulled one of his hands free and slammed a box of shells into it. "Come on Dad, we should really check we haven't missed anything." She paced to the far side of the room, peering down the corridor for any signs of movement.

"Okay, okay, you're right." He stopped what he was doing and emptied the box into the pouch on his belt. "The only room left is the rotunda. It contains the control room and the purifier itself."

"Where's that?"

He pointed to a door in the corner.

Talia checked his sketch of the area and dropped her bag by the desk. It was small, consisting of just a narrow walkway around the control room, which itself formed a ring around the central machinery. "There can't be many in there unless they like playing sardines. We can go in quiet and sneak up on anything that is there."

"Alright. Be careful sweetie." James led the way and carefully opened the door a fraction for Talia to slip through first. She could hear the slow, leaden footsteps of one supermutant above. She wondered whether it missed the firefight because it was deaf, cowardly, or _waiting_.

Deft, silent feet carried her up a staircase where she saw the tree trunk legs of the supermutant in the control room. A grenade would have been her choice here, but James didn't want to damage the equipment any more than it may be already. So she crept the last two steps, lining up her sights with the back of the mutant's head and crossing the threshold so she could loop around the room if necessary. But all her time on the range paid off and it went down with a single burst to the head.

"I suppose that proves you are a better shot," James commented, once again approaching it to check it was dead, while Talia confirmed there were no more hiding nearby.

"I thought you took my word for it," she replied as she returned. The mutant took up the whole width of the walkway where it had fallen. "How are we gonna get these out of here? They must weigh a ton."

"I'm sure we can come up with something. We should have enough brainpower in here soon to figure that out, but there are more important things right now." James turned his attention to one of the panels.

Talia shrugged and leapt over the mutant. It was his lab. She finally took a moment to look around. Panels of buttons, meters, screens and blinking lights encircled the platform, all indicating that nothing was happening since James had managed to switch on nothing but a few auxiliary generators when he was here last. The central column was all glass and holding back an enormous amount of water. Small pipes snaked overhead where several clear sections allowed a view into the flow, or lack thereof as it was.

She looked back through the central window with a start. They must have been inside the monument itself now, for the control room was actually built around the statue. A huge, bronze Thomas Jefferson towered above them from inside its watery cage.

She hadn't known what to expect, but it was impressive. The entire building, above and below ground had been converted to the single aim of purifying the tidal basin. "How was this even possible?" she asked, circling the submerged statue.

"With a lot of sacrifice, honey," James answered.

It must have been huge, to build something functional in the middle of all the rubble, the danger, the barren hostility of the D.C. ruins. And so visible to everyone in Rivet City. She imagined she could feel the loss when its credibility and support evaporated.

"The lower level has flooded. Look," James pointed to the ground below the platform on which they stood, covered in stagnant water. "We should get the team here so we can get the pumps going to clear it, and assess what else has been damaged."

Talia let James go back for the team alone. She said she would guard the place from any more mutants and signal whether it was safe for them to enter, though privately she wanted a break from James himself. She told him to take Dogmeat but he refused, and she agreed he wasn't much help during a hold up anyway.

When he was gone she explored the living area of the facility. It had been mostly cleared out but some mess remained, given the scientists had left in a bit of a hurry. In one corner were four bunk beds, across from several sets of lockers, and a kitchen and a dining area. The project must have been a very close knit affair to work and live like this. She counted herself lucky to have fallen into her suite at Tenpenny Tower.

She rounded the corner and came to the only private room in the place. She assumed, as head of the project, James would have stayed there, and some holodisk recordings of his confirmed it. She picked one up and played it through her Pip Boy. It was a woman discussing test results. She almost switched off when the voice began talking to James in the background. Talia sat down as she realised it must be her mother.

She'd never heard her voice before. It was feathery, vibrant, full of determination when speaking of the disappointing results and joy when batting away James who was trying to distract her. Talia closed her eyes and tried to marry the sound with the photos she had seen. She had inherited her mom's looks, sharing her olive skin, dark hair and amber eyes, and now she could recognise her voice in Catherine's too. Her light, slightly husky tones definitely didn't come from James, though his low, soporific drawl had brightened up considerably since she had known him on the outside.

The recording veered further off track until James successfully distracted Catherine from her note taking, and it ended abruptly as they presumably got on with things Talia tried not to visualise. She grimaced and dropped the disk back on the desk. She didn't need that particular momento of her mom.

An empty whisky bottle sat beside the disk, and from the stale smell it had only been finished recently. She'd definitely inherited James' taste for a drink, if not also a crazy streak. Talia wondered how long he had spent here going through old recordings and making new ones. Having little else to do and wondering how she now found herself in another hole, this one full of mutant corpses, she listened to the disks recently made by her dad.

Most of them were dry, recounting what she already knew about how he'd learned of the G.E.C.K. and tried to recruit Dr. Li. But there was one, clearly made while the nearby whisky bottle was being drained. It called out to her morbid curiosity and she played the whole thing.

"_Well, here we are again. Project Purity and me."_

_He speaks like it's his baby._

"_It's been close to twenty years since my last entry. Since I left all of this behind to make a life for my daughter."_

Talia scoffed.

"_We spent all that time in Vault 101, tucked away from the rest of the world. It wasn't perfect, but it was safe, and that's all I could have hoped for."_

Considering his staggering ambitions now, she wondered how he couldn't have hoped for a little more. But she could hear the familiar pain in his voice as he thought of Catherine, and scolded herself. _I can be a heartless bitch sometimes._ She hadn't given Amata a thought as she avenged Jonas, driven by her own pain. Why should he be any different?

"_Now, my daughter is a grown woman. Beautiful, intelligent, confident. Just like her mother. And as hard as it was to admit it, she doesn't need her daddy anymore."_

His final words knocked the wind out of her. Tears threatened to wet her cheeks and she threw the disk against the wall instead. It made a rather pathetic clattering sound, and only Dogmeat was around to notice. He prodded her leg with his nose and whined. There was no point in getting angry on her own, and it would just upset Dogmeat. She slid to the floor and hugged him.

James really thought she didn't need him anymore? How could things have got so twisted? Of course she needed him, even in the Vault. Especially in the Vault. Now she knew why she'd always been confused, felt uneasy about his story of their life, but before they left she had no one but him to ask. She needed him to explain, to trust her, to give her something that made sense. But he hadn't, so she'd walled him off, and he'd let her. He must have seen that as independence, whereas she saw a man that didn't care.

Maybe he was right. What had he done but drop her in a complete mess because he wasn't thorough enough to consider the options if his neat plan didn't work out like he hoped? He had underestimated the Overseer's insanity, and it got people beaten and killed.

Maybe he was right. Was he dropping her and the others in a new heap of trouble? What had he underestimated this time? The only thought that calmed her nerves was that Dr. Li had agreed. Despite the feelings Talia felt lingered there, the woman radiated a reason and confidence that balanced James' almost disconnected zeal. She wondered if her presence would calm him in the coming days. She wondered if he wouldn't have spent the last two decades drowning in the past had he never taken Talia to the Vault.

* * *

She was half right. Once everyone was in the facility that evening, James' focus was back, organising each of the team to specific tasks that would get the mainframe up and running once more. Talia recognised her feelings were all over the joint, but she relaxed into the work. It wasn't too far off what she'd done in the Vault, and the infrastructure was not so different. Tinkering in windowless corridors soothed her whirling mind, apparently.

They worked late into the night, eager to get as much equipment as possible powered so that by morning, when the pumps had done their work, they could begin system testing. There would be no point chasing the G.E.C.K. if something critical needed repairing before it could be utilised.

James and Li were searching for information on a G.E.C.K. in the gift shop while everyone else rested or tried to sleep in the bunk room. Talia felt restless, tending to natter with someone before bed either in person, via her terminal in the Vault or, lately, over the phone. She slid quietly off her bed, casting an eye over Daniel Agincort, the engineer who had taken a strong dislike to both her and James and let her know it. Fuck it, why was she being careful? She stumbled into the kit by his bed, disturbing his very focussed attempt at falling asleep.

"Sorry dude, did I wake you?" she whispered. "Didn't see your stuff down there."

She heard him mutter something amidst an irked sigh but he didn't see her smirk through the darkness. She made her way over to Janice's bunk, creeping onto the foot of the bed where she'd laid out her own blankets and pillows. They were what Anthony would call _kitsch,_ albeit in various shades of brown, wool apparently being available somewhere but not dye. A fact Talia had noticed since spending time outside of Tenpenny Tower, where everyone dressed in well kept pre-war clothes. Wasteland-made clothes were rather more _earthy._

"This is cosy," Talia commented in a low voice.

"Thanks. We might be here for a long while, so I thought it'd be nice to bring a bit of home along. Do you like it? I knitted all this myself."

"Really? Wow. That's kinda cool."

"Yeah, I find it relaxing. I'd kill for some colour though. Never found anything in the market yet. I could probably make a dye and do it myself, but I just don't have the time."

"Maybe you'll get lucky and find a mutated pink sheep one day."

Janice chuckled. "Can I request orange? Pink isn't really my thing."

"No way, pink would suit you. I have this pink dress, super cute but I haven't even worn it. Though that's more because I love my red one way more. You could have it! Oh we could go out in the city. Or is that over the top?"

"Maybe not in the Weatherly... but no, you keep it. I'd feel like a badly made doll. Girly things just aren't my style."

"Aw, I like dressing up. It was weird at first, but a lifetime of blue jumpsuits does that I guess."

"You don't need to worry, you'd look good in a potato sack. Hey, I've got plenty of those if you want one."

Talia sniggered and warmed a little at the compliment. "Sure, it can be a theme. We'll all go wearing one."

"We'll have to drink vodka. It's made from potatoes you know? Ooh! Maybe I could distill some. I bet we have all the right equipment."

Talia whispered. "That could make you rich! A fresh source of vodka would go down a storm here."

"Right. Not sure I can turn our lab into a booze factory though." She nudged Talia on the arm jokingly.

"We'll use the purifier. We'll turn the river to vodka."

"_That_ would be something." The pair sniggered none too quietly, drawing another meaningful huff from Daniel.

"Holy shit… all the mirelurks are smashed and getting stuck on their backs when they fall over..." Talia wheezed at the stupid image of the mutated crustaceans, normally looming several feet above her when they lurched out of the water.

"And I have to make some sort of anti-still to turn the river vodka back to water to grow the vegetables," Janice joked, though it didn't tickle Talia nearly so much.

"No," Talia corrected, "you have to invent _vodkaponics_."

"Brilliant," Janice laughed. "You're funny. My parents left me with a brain, but I'm not sure my funny bone is all there."

"Sure it is, it's just kinda… sciencey. I'm not sure what use a sense of humour is out here anyway."

"Nonsense. Everyone needs to smile, especially in the Capital Wasteland. I'm not from here, and let me tell you: whew-whee, it is not very nice."

"So why are you here?"

"My parents brought me, stayed because the city's pretty safe and I got working here. I remember some of where we came from. It wasn't so grey or so many things trying to kill us. But maybe that's just memory bias. You know, when you think everything was better when you were young. Although you were in a Vault, so everything _was_ better."

Talia shrugged. "It was clean and mutant free I guess, yeah."

"But only blue jumpsuits, the horror," Janice teased.

Talia huffed. "Need I remind you I had insane Overseers trying to kill me? Don't try and lord your mutants over me, wastelander."

"I think you're one of those now- I heard how you and James cleared out this place. I have no idea how you have the courage to do that."

Talia shrugged. "Well I've tried hiding in a hole in the ground. I don't fancy it."

"Yeah but, you could hide in a lot of other places. But then I get the sense you and James aren't really the shy, retiring types."

Talia quizzed the botanist with a look, just visible in the faint glow from the corridor lighting.

"Look, Madison has told us about James and this project. And now he's here, going at it tooth and nail like it was just yesterday it was shut down. And you, well, you turn up like some badass bodyguard, gettin' hammered at night and clearing out mutants in the morning, yeehaw."

Talia stifled a giggle. "Badass, come on…"

"That's what I said. I've met some tough adventurer type women, but they're all old and missing eyes and fingers. Must've taken them a long time to learn what they know. Must run in your family to just go for it and be great."

"Well I… I've had good training is all."

"_I've _had good training. In plants I mean. But I'm nothing special. I don't have the… _je ne sais quois_ that makes a genius like Madison or your dad."

Talia snorted under her breath. "Genius?"

"Oh, don't give me that, I mean it. To come up with this and actually do it, that mind has to be different."

"_Different_, that's for sure."

"You're being facetious, but I can see what Madison was talking about. And anyway, they say there's a fine line between genius and madness."

"I can see the truth in that. Well I'm no genius… I guess I'm just mad."

"Girl, you've got _some _kind of spark. But even if you are mad, I'm happy to have you. Like I said, I wouldn't want to fight these mutants."

"The Mad Scientist and Co, at your service," Talia joked. "Seriously though… do you think he's a little… off?"

"I don't know Talia. I don't know him. And all great minds can be a little off, to be honest. Do you?"

Talia paused. "Kinda. I just… does he really have a breakthrough or is he just desperate to try again?" If he really thought she didn't need him, maybe he just saw it as his window to leave and give Purity another shot. He'd clearly never stopped thinking about it.

Janice shifted on the bed. "Well, Dr. Li thinks it's worth it, so that's good enough for me. It's really exciting to be involved either way."

"Mmm, that's what I thought," Talia agreed.

"So who trained you to be such a gunslinger? Don't tell me it was James!" Janice whispered, changing the subject.

"What? Oh, geez, no. Well, he taught me with a BB gun when I was a kid. But up here... I've had a mentor, I guess."

"Ooh, find someone needing a hand like I did huh?"

"Yeah… pretty much."

"Anybody I know? I don't suppose they run in my circles too."

"Hehe, I don't think so. Someone at where I live. Well, I live there now."

"After you met?"

"Yeah, we… helped each other out, and it went from there."

"You're being very _vague_."

Talia shifted awkwardly. Before she could come up with anything Janice continued. "There's a little more to it huh? Come on," she nudged Talia in her silence, "a lot of people find a step-up out here and they all feel a bit special about them. I've seen it a lot. I even know couples who met something like that."

"Oh," Talia breathed in relief. "That you?" she deflected, smirking through the darkness.

"We're talking about _you_," Janice countered quickly. "We all thought you were some sort of superwoman to turn up with the skills you've got. Now I hear you're shacked up with whoever taught you. Tell!"

"It's hardly shacking up, a lot of people live in the tower," Talia smirked, but relaxed into answering. She hadn't _talked _about it openly with anyone. (There were some things she wouldn't bring up around Gustavo; the guys were an absolute no-go; Anthony was a blatant gossip; Godfrey tried hard but she thought trusting her love life to a machine was a little desperate; and Herbert, well, with his history she wasn't sure she wanted to hear what might come out of the scoundrel's mouth.)

She couldn't suppress a smile. "He kinda runs the place. He's super smart. He even looks really good. Like, I thought everyone on the surface would be wearing furs or loincloths or something."

"Or potato sacks," Janice interjected, and Talia giggled. "Oh, hey, you live in Tenpenny Tower don't you? You're not talking about…?"

Talia's face went glacial. "Tell me you're joking."

The botanist shrugged innocently, waiting for an answer. Talia threw one of her own quaint pillows toward her head. "I'm not talking about Tenpenny, you sick woman. Ew."

"Sorry, it's the only name I know, I don't know who he is," Janice laughed. "That's a pretty fancy place. You've done well to land yourself there with this handsome sponsor, huh?"

Talia rolled her eyes and pulled a pillow into her lap. She didn't care at all about the lavish surroundings anymore. She'd live under a rock if it meant Burke would show up and take her away from this madness again.

"Yeah... I might have fucked it up though." She sighed and dropped to a whisper. "Jan… have you ever been in love?"

Janice stroked Talia on the arm warmly. "Aw, I have. It can be painful right?"

Talia nodded, though nothing could burden the lightness in her chest or keep the smile from her lips.

Eventually she went to bed, holding onto the warmth she'd cultivated while talking with Janice. Burke had taught her so much about the world and herself, and she'd learned because she trusted his guidance, and because he'd persevered where she struggled or resisted. The same warmth she felt when he smiled at her success or one of her jokes. Foolhardy as it was to think so, she felt like she mattered more than the role she was filling. Most of the time. But even as messed up as his plans were that day in the courtyard, he hadn't thrown her out. She had left him.

A scuttling, rattly, unpleasantly roachlike sound disturbed her thoughts. The pumps howled from years of disuse. Daniel began to snore.

_Why in the everloving fuck did I do that?_

* * *

Talia stood on the platforms that had been erected around the monument and observed the spectators. She came up here regularly to look out for signs of any more mutants (and privately, Regulators). There had been nothing so far, nor any hint of the Brotherhood of Steel. James had pointed out the direction in which they had a stronghold, but they seemed uninterested in the scientists' return. However in the several days they had been working news had got around, in the way news did, and a number of people had gathered near the monument and on the far river bank. Talia wasn't sure what was so exciting to look at, but crowds attracted crowds, and they seemed pleased when she gave them a wave.

She trundled back inside to see what James needed her to do. The systems tests were complete and they were now making the needed repairs to get the purifier back online. If it could run as well as it used to it would be ready to receive a G.E.C.K. when they found one. She could probably understand the details given enough time and the inclination, but she settled for the simplified outline James gave her.

She found James in the control room with Li. They were both focussed intensely on their control panels, though occasionally uttering information to each other. Talia watched briefly as the pair mirrored each other in more ways than one, James as content as she'd ever seen him, not being overbearing or spinning off on a personal tangent. It was like a window to another dimension.

Talia approached James quietly. "We seem to be all clear Dad. Although we're quite popular with the locals."

He looked up. "Oh? They must've heard what we're doing."

"So what's next?"

He peered over his shoulder at Li and pulled Talia aside. "I think we need to talk." He ushered them out of earshot just outside the doorway. "I've been... hearing things."

Talia raised her eyebrows mockingly. "Voices?"

He only frowned, continuing sternly. "Things that have happened out there." He dropped to a whisper. "Megaton… destroyed. You… you didn't have anything to do with that, did you?"

_Shit._ She'd all but forgotten about that. Or at least, how regular people saw it. "What? Dad, why would you ask that?" She tried to act completely flummoxed.

"That's what they're saying on the radio. Talia, answer me."

_Ooh,_ she'd forgotten about that guy on the radio and his wild accusations. They were correct, but that didn't mean they weren't wild. Did he really _know_?

Maybe it was the oppressive heat of the control room, or her growing hunger, or that her bra strap had been cutting into her shoulder all morning, but James' sudden accusation really pissed her off. His attempted look of disdain must have cost precious energy that could be spent on the project, if only he didn't have such a fuck up for a daughter. She knew what his priorities were. Did he really care?

"Yes. Yes, I did have something to do with it." God, she ate up the shock on his face. "Why ask if you don't want the answer? You have no idea what I went through in the Vault after you left. And you never intended to. So the way I see it, what I do in the world is my business now, not yours."

His lips moved like a goldfish for a few seconds until he found his voice. It was hoarse. "What you do in the world may be your business, but here, now, you are _my_ daughter. That goes against everything I ever taught you."

Talia folded her arms. "I forget the lesson about what to do when you're kicked out of your Vault with nothing and your only options are stealing, brothels, or helping out with a nuclear experiment. What would you do? Oh, that's right, you wouldn't know because you weren't actually from the Vault and had a whole life to go back to."

He motioned with his hands to calm her. "Look, I want to talk more about this later. But you must know I can't begin to tell you how disappointed I am in you. But for now, please, there's work to be done."

He made to turn away. Talia watched as if in slow motion. _Unbe-fucking-lievable._ As if she was caught sneaking a drink, or cheating on a test, he was _disappointed_ and would _talk later_. She grabbed his arm. "No Dad, we'll talk about this now."

He looked startled for a second. "Alright," he hissed, obviously desperate to keep Li out of this. "Explain yourself."

Talia's eyes widened. He seemed to think she'd come up with a scientific proposal for blowing the nuke. "I had fucking guns pointed in my face Dad! They were beating Amata, they beat me. I had to shoot my way out, thank you very much. I found Jonas' battered- body…" she paused to catch herself. "I mean, thank you for leaving your gun. I paid them back. But God I loved having to shoot my friend's parents to get out of your mess, your fucking- _secret,_" she almost choked on the word. "And then I have guns pointed in my face as soon as I get out, your buddy in the bar wanted to pimp me out. Do... do you have any idea?"

James' face was grey, but he still wasn't fucking reacting. "I'm sorry Talia. I know it was hard, but none of that justifies what you did-"

"I'm not trying to justify it. Jesus fuck, what is wrong with you?" Hot tears blurred her vision. Why did he never get mad? Never. Never did he raise his voice, speak in anger, just _flip out_. What would it take? "You don't fucking care, just admit it, why are you still bothering with this… act?"

He looked wounded, like he did on the way to the monument from the city. "I care Talia. It's just that right now-"

"Yeah, yeah, you care more about this water, I know. Well I don't. I care more about why you don't give a shit when I tell you I nuked a town." She stood on her tiptoes and raised her voice over James' shoulder, into the control room. "Yes, everybody! You heard it! Megaton! That was me!"

That finally got something out of him, as he grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her further away from the door. Too late, precious Madison had heard.

"Don't like that huh? Don't like your _reputation _being ruined by your fuck up daughter-"

"Talia-"

"-just not enough to stop her being a fuck up-"

"Talia!"

"What!" She glared back as he pinned her against the railing. "What are you gonna do?"

"What can I do? Ground you and tell you not to do it again? My God…"

"That's right. Nothing," she hissed softly. "You'll do nothing, like always. That is until you felt okay about ditching me, then you become this… _This._" This person she wished she'd seen before. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

James' grip shifted. "Talia, you'll always be my daughter, and I love you-"

"_But_..." she finished tiredly.

"No. No but. Just… calm down."

She sighed with the weight of the world. Was he made of stone? "Why didn't you stay here?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You could have stayed on the surface with Dr. Li and your team, doing science and being happy."

He let go of her and stepped back. "No… no, it was over. The project was gone."

"She built a new project."

"It's not… it wasn't so clear back then. Everything was in tatters."

"Why didn't you remarry?"

He blinked, taken aback by the change in subject. "Talia, I loved your mother-"

"I know. But people move on. They can."

"Sweetheart… oh, even if I wanted to, the Vault was… it was already so small."

"_I know_," she concurred.

His voice softened further. "Talia… sweetheart… I vowed to your mother I'd keep you safe, so I took you to the Vault. That was my entire mission. I wasn't living for myself after you were born. After... _You_ were the love of my life then. _Just you._"

Talia looked up into his face as the words reverberated around her mind. She saw, for the first time in a long time, the glistening of real emotion in his eyes. He was serious, honest. Or at least more honest than she'd ever known him. She began to cry.

Not because it moved her. But because he really believed it. He really believed what he'd told her, told himself, over and over again. That the Vault was the best place for her. That he was keeping her safe. That she was his number one priority. Because it was the antithesis to the story she'd lived. She'd lived a life second to his memories. Second to his dreams, to his hopes of getting it all back. Of making a dead woman happy. And he didn't even realise.

He pulled her into an embrace and she acquiesced, grasping the back of his lab coat, wiping her tears on his shirt. He uttered soothing words, stroking her hair in some attempt at comfort, and she hugged him tighter. She gave him this, a show of reconciliation, but her eyes were glassy. He didn't even see his wounds, let alone hers; there was a long road ahead before they could heal, and it wouldn't be complete. Privately, she mourned the relationship she knew they would never have, that she now saw was lost long ago.

* * *

James had called a tea break, and it extended into lunch. It was the longest they'd rested since arriving, excepting the relatively short nights asleep. Li had sat far away from Talia and James, which was strange, and so had Daniel, which was normal. However, excited chatter amongst the others had lifted the mood, and the air felt marginally clearer.

"Okay, everyone, let's get back to work. We're almost there." James turned to Talia. "You remember where to go? I'll be on the intercom to guide you through every step, alright?"

Talia nodded and headed off to the other side of the building, to the end of the corridor where there was a hatch to the water intake pipes. There was a blockage in one of them, and Taila had been awarded the glamorous job of clearing it. Manually.

She stopped by the hatch and called James on the intercom. "I'm here."

"Alright. Now don't worry, this is perfectly safe, the water isn't flowing into the system yet. All you need to do is go in and follow the pipe until you find the debris. Break it up if you can, then we'll decide if we need to clear it out or if the water can do that. Be careful. There's no intercom down there, so call me again once you're out. You'll exit near the cisterns."

"Okay. Well, I'm going in."

"Speak soon."

"Taking the plunge."

"I told you there's no water in there."

"Sorry Dad, can't talk, I'm kind of in a flush."

"..."

"Got to flow now."

"...Urgh."

"See you soon."

"Yes, honey."

She opened the grate and climbed down the ladder. She coaxed Dogmeat onto her shoulders, something she'd practised already while clambering down rocks in the wasteland and finding that he didn't want to follow.

The pipe interior was taller than she was, so she moved through easily, pushing back those intrusive thoughts that asked if she could hear roaring water. She sang to Dogmeat in an attempt to ignore them, playing with the echo. He joined in, seeming bemused by the strange sound of their voices.

They passed through a few grates and eventually saw daylight. There was the 'blockage'. It was actually a broken section of the pipe itself. A hole had formed on the side, the open air swirling through the wire fencing that encased the pipe, the busted section in several pieces on the interior.

Talia thought it looked pretty bad, but she was also glad she didn't have to shift something gross that had got stuck in here. Preparing to continue, she stopped with a fright when she really did hear something.

Roaring? No, it was more of a thrumming. She jumped out of her skin as James' voice came through on a loudspeaker nearby.

"Everyone, listen. It seems we have some visitors. I don't know who they are or what they want. Remain in your assigned areas while we sort this out…"

As she wondered whether that meant she should stay in the pipes, the thrumming grew louder, becoming a pounding that filled the pipe. The source came into view. Two helicopter type craft landed on the ground around the monument outside. She recognised them from classes in the Vault, but had never guessed how loud they would be. Or that they were still airborne.

James continued broadcasting, though he seemed to be talking to one of the team. "...The Enclave? What? What are they doing here? ...They're _where_? Madison- quick, lock that door."

The transmission stopped. Talia heard heavy footsteps of several people running, though she couldn't see them.

_Enclave._ They ran that radio station she heard when she first stepped outside. Ever since it had just seemed to be recordings of various rants by the 'President', and everyone was adamant they were long gone.

There was no way out of this pipe at the broken section, so she continued the way she had planned. Eventually she emerged inside, in the basement. Creeping around the massive pools of water, she made her way back up toward the control room, careful to look out for any of the new arrivals.

She made it to the gift shop before spotting anyone. Boy, they didn't look friendly. And they were kitted out in the baddest armour she'd ever seen. They called it power armour, and it basically turned a man into a mini walking tank. She assumed. She didn't want a demonstration, so she weaved around the soldier slipping into the control room unseen.

Li was at the top of the stairs looking in to the central platform.

"What's going on?" Talia whispered while joining her.

"I don't know… they just came in here so fast…"

Inside were James and Janice, flanked by another soldier in power armour. A man in a sand coloured military uniform and long trenchcoat approached from behind. "By the authority of the President, this facility is now under United States government control. The person in charge is to step forward immediately and turn over all materials related to this project."

He stopped in front of James and Janice, awaiting one of them to move. Neither did, though James answered. "That's quite impossible. This is a private project. The Enclave has no authority here. I'm going to have to ask you to leave at once."

Talia couldn't help but laugh. At least she felt a little better about James' apparent lack of passion or fury if he thought a polite but firm request would see these guys off. She cleared her throat as Li gave her an incredulous look.

"Am I to assume, sir, that you are in charge?" the Enclave officer continued, in an accent Talia could listen to all day. But the delivery was open contempt.

"Yes. I'm responsible for this project."

"Then I repeat, _sir_, that you are to hand over immediately all materials related to the purifier." The officer's tempo increased with irritation at having to repeat himself.

"I'm sorry, but that's-"

"Furthermore," he ignored James completely, "you are to assist Enclave scientists in assuming control of the administration and operation of this facility, _at once."_

Talia recognised the twinge in James' face as he held back what was really on his mind. "Colonel- is it Colonel? I'm sorry, but the facility is not operational. It never has been. You're wasting your time here."

The Colonel matched James with an equally irate sigh. "Sir… this is the last time I am going to repeat myself. Stand down at once and turn over control of this facility."

James responded firmly. "Colonel. I assure you this facility _will not function_." He sighed theatrically. "We have never been able to successfully replicate test results-"

Talia, Li and James all jumped in shock as the Colonel drew his pistol without warning and fired. Then Li cried in anguish to her right, and Talia realised Janice was on the floor. Motionless.

The three of them stared at her, but the only movement was the pool of blood gradually growing on the floor beneath her head.

Talia slammed the door release switch over and over, but it was locked from the inside. She ran along the platform to the door itself, slamming her fist on the window.

The silence broken, the Colonel continued. "I suggest you comply immediately, sir, in order to prevent any more _incidents._ Are we clear?" He spoke to James and only to James, putting the blame squarely on his shoulders.

Talia saw fire in James' eyes. Fire she could feel. The fire that coursed through her veins when she found Jonas' body, that made her turn around and head back into the Vault she was escaping. Risking death for a chance at revenge, because this fire fed on it. And she wouldn't have cared at the time, so long as she got to see the Overseer's life flicker out.

James answered through gritted teeth. "Yes, _Colonel._ I'll do whatever you want. There's no need for more violence."

"Then you will immediately hand over all materials relating to this project and aid us in making it operational at once," the Colonel repeated yet again, though his tone had softened with satisfaction.

"Very well. Give me a few moments to bring the system online."

Talia would have screamed at James not to give this asshole what he wanted, but the change in his voice… it was completely detached from the darkness in his face. He was up to something. She whipped her head around to Li, but she just looked at Talia in fear and confusion.

Helpless, she pounded on the window again, but James ignored her, heading over to one of the panels.

As he flipped switches and tuned dials, and the Colonel tutted at how long he was taking, and Li questioned what he was doing under her breath, and the red puddle under Janice kept growing, Talia got chills.

"Dad?… Dad!" She may as well have been howling at the moon.

There came a sudden, thunderous crack and she hit the deck. Alarms began to sound. And James and the Colonel cried out in pain. She knelt up to peer through the window. The Colonel was on his knees. The soldier was scrambling against the windows. James was staggering over to the door.

"Dad?" She turned to Li. "Open the door. Open the door!" But Li shook her head.

James slammed his palm on the window, jolting Talia's attention back. "Run…" he groaned.

Talia frowned, pulling herself up on the window.

"Run!" he reiterated with the last of his strength, crumpling to his knees after that, and after that falling to the ground beside the Colonel.

She stared for… she didn't know. Not long enough. Li was talking. She didn't hear.

Li grabbed her arm, pulling her away. "We have to evacuate now! Or your father died in vain."

"What? I'm not leaving him! We have to help him!"

"The radiation levels in there are lethal! You'd die the same way he did." The confusion must have been clear on her face as Li hurriedly expanded. "He caused an overload, to keep the Enclave from getting the purifier and to buy us time to escape. He's… he's gone. Now we need to move before more of them show up."

Talia turned back to look at him. As if she needed more proof what Li said was true.

Li grabbed her jacket this time, practically dragging her away. "_We need to get out of here now."_

Reality seeped in with the force of Li's words, and Talia managed to sputter one relevant question. "How?"

"There's an old tunnel that will lead us out of here, to someplace safe. We've used it as an evacuation route once before. Let's hope everyone remembers how to find it, there isn't time to round everyone up. Follow me, and hurry." She finished her last words while setting off, pulling Talia with her.

She led the way to a corner of the gift shop where she dragged aside a desk, lifting a manhole cover beneath. She paused to look around for the others but Talia waved her in, following with Dogmeat.

She barely noticed the stench of the old sewer. The others were there already: Alex, a scientist, Garza, a friend of Li's who helped with heavy lifting, and Daniel. Daniel approached Talia before her feet had even hit the ground.

"You! I better not ever find out that you or your father had anything to do with this." He stopped when Dogmeat growled. "If I even _think_ you sold us out-"

Talia closed the distance. "You'd better walk away right now."

He tried to stare her down but she saw uncertainty in his stupid face and his voice faltered. "Yeah? Well…"

Li got between the two of them, voice shaking with anger or fear. "That's enough. We have to get out of here. Has anyone seen Anna?" A chorus of shaking heads and worried faces answered. "Oh. Well, we can't wait. Hopefully she's just behind us."

"What?" Alex complained. "We can't just leave her!"

"The Enclave will find us if we stay here, we have no choice." Li was firm.

"We know why that is," Daniel pushed.

"Leave her out of it Daniel, let's just get out. I don't want to die down here," Alex countered.

"We'll be lucky."

"What do you mean? We've done it before."

"This one. If she wasn't in on it she'll kill you for slowing us down," Daniel goaded, though from a safe distance.

As the bickering escalated Talia tuned out, barely caring what he was insinuating. She noticed herself move away from the group, leaning into the wall, feeling only Dogmeat's wet nose against her fingers.

Li raised her voice, stern and commanding, urgency constraining any fear to only a slight tremor that hinted at the gravity of the situation. "_Gentlemen!_ Let's not shit ourselves, please." She turned to Talia, her voice punching through the images swirling in her mind. "Talia. Don't wander off. We're going to need you." She silenced Daniel with a look and pulled Talia from the wall. "You're the only one with any kind of combat experience. I need you to lead the way, and we'll follow."

Talia frowned. Li elaborated hurriedly once more. "We've got the Enclave behind us and who knows what ahead of us. No one has been down here for years, we're probably not alone. Now I'm responsible for these people. With James gone I'm responsible for the project. _You_ are responsible for clearing a path through this tunnel. It leads to the Citadel, the Brotherhood of Steel's fortress. We'll be safe there. You understand me? Please, get a grip and let's get out of this alive. _Talia. Do you understand?_"

Something clicked in Talia's mind. The fog cleared, her disbelief was packed away, and her training took over. She nodded firmly. Tunnels. She was happy in tunnels. She was happy when there was a plan. Li would keep the team calm and Talia could focus on what she was good at. Surety coloured her features, eyes clear and calculating. "Follow me."


	21. Wanted

Elder Lyons reclined on a couch in the Solar, his personal quarters within the Citadel. He had been ruminating on the events of that afternoon until his daughter had entered.

"Did you _see _that girl when she came in the gate, Father? I've seen Knights with less steel in their gaze than her. Who is she again?"

"She is the daughter of one James and Catherine Farley. The James who restarted the purifier project just recently, and paid for it with his life today."

"I see. Poor girl. Seemed like I was talking Chinese when I tried to speak to her out there. It must have been shock. Still, she got that whole group of civilians here safely. And she's just out of a Vault you say?"

"Yes. James went underground with her after we withdrew support for the project back in '58. Though she's been… busy for the last few months." Lyons knew Sarah didn't pay much attention to the radio, focussing instead on her duties as a Sentinel. She and her elite combat unit, the Lyons' Pride, were more practical, following orders with imagination and efficiency. They tended to leave the broader thinking about how the Brotherhood of Steel fit into the Capital Wasteland to others like himself.

"Damn busy if she learned her way around in a few months."

She perhaps didn't realise how just important Galaxy News Radio was for their chapter of the Brotherhood nowadays. "Perhaps you will be able to speak with her later, Sarah. She was shown to a place to rest. She may have calmed down now." She perhaps didn't know the effect Three Dog's positive broadcasts had on support for the Brotherhood in D.C.

"I will. Don't often meet a wastelander that can handle themselves, let alone others, like that."

"Well, when you do, I want you to do something for me, Sarah."

"What is it?"

She perhaps didn't know the damage that could be done if the Brotherhood was publicly associated with the _kid from the vault_ who, it was said, detonated the bomb in Megaton. "Keep a watchful eye over her, would you? It doesn't look like she'll need babysitting, but try to ensure she remains unharmed and out of trouble. It seems the purifier could work after all, and she is a part of that." She might not see the signs that this story contained the stuff of legend, the unifying effect that a folk hero could have on the locals. If the hero could outshine her past, that was.

"Yes, Father."

Lyons' Brotherhood had been rather ineffective at doing anything more than containing the supermutant threat in the area, failing to understand where they came from or why they infested the city ruins. Their resources and men dwindled after being cut off from the western chapters, but Lyons didn't regret a thing. He was helping people more directly than his brothers who continued to protect them from themselves. Defending Project Purity had been a noble cause. But after it was abandoned, without reinforcements or resupply, recruitment became an ever more pressing need.

"Father… if you've had any more thoughts on assaulting the purifier, the Pride are ready to go."

His worry was, with such an unimpressive recent history, that the wastelanders in their ignorance might not care for a war between the Brotherhood and the Enclave. If the Enclave, with their superior technology and numbers, offered unlimited pure water to the area, who could blame the people if they flocked their way?

"Oh, Sarah. My dear, sweet girl. So eager you are to rush headlong into battle. No, I have not. As I said, our time will come. Now, you may be my daughter, but you're also a Sentinel. And questioning my orders is perilously close to insubordination."

"I'm sorry Fath... Elder. I will see to our guest."

He smiled as she left, sighing at his choice of words. After all, he disobeyed orders all those years ago when he put the settlers of the Capital Wasteland above the technology that could be found here. It was the right thing to do, but it didn't make living with the consequences any easier.

* * *

Sarah visited the barrack room where the impressive young woman had been quartered in the evening. But all she found were a few Knights, who shrugged when questioned on where she went.

She tried with the scientists she brought with her, but they hadn't seen her. Finally, in the lab, the leader of the group Dr. Li was busying herself. Sarah knew everyone had their own ways of dealing when shit hit the fan, but she couldn't get her head around doing more work. She preferred a drink.

The doctor seemed exceptionally frayed, and a heavy air of sadness weighted her words. She informed Sarah the girl said she was going for a drink at Rivet City. "I warned her it was safer to stay here for the time being but... I don't think she cares right now."

Damn. The Citadel wasn't dry, but at least she could understand this kind of reaction.

"Why didn't you stop her?" she asked the Paladin on the main gate.

"First orders were to keep outsiders outside, now I gotta keep 'em in?" he grumbled.

If she was to fulfil her father's request, she better double time it to Rivet City. There were plenty of ways for a girl to get in trouble in that heap of rust.

* * *

Butch brought a fresh round of drinks to the table. "You're welcome by the way," he snarked.

Talia looked at him blearily. "I'll pay you back… I only got out with some of the caps I have."

"Sure," he looked at her sidelong and pushed her drink over. "You sure you ain't had enough?"

"No. Not today. Don't tell me you've gone all goody, goody, judgey on me too."

"No, it's just…" he waved a hand in dismissal. "Forget it."

"I'm trying."

They drank quietly for a minute. "It'll… get easier, y'know. I know you feel like shit now, but you'll figure somethin' out. I did."

Talia tried to steady her focus on that beautiful face through the stagnant, smoky air of the Muddy Rudder. Despite obviously caring for James and Janice, Li had not been willing to speak much with Talia, let alone offer any comfort. She had given her thanks for getting them to safety, but ever since Talia confirmed her involvement in Megaton she'd felt a wall go up. What did she expect? Things never went nicely for her, and she wasn't exactly inviting good things from the universe with the things she'd done. She felt drawn to the only other link to her past, but it seemed it wasn't to be.

Butch was her only remaining friend who had known James. And he knew what he was talking about when it came to a dead parent. His words meant far more than the empty condolences of the strangers in the Citadel.

"Thank you," she breathed, placing a hand on his arm. He leaned in a little closer. "I just want to go home," she sighed.

"Then why don't you?"

"The Enclave are out there," she said, remembering the bright glow of the energy shield that now surrounded the Jefferson memorial. "The Brotherhood of Steel people said they've already blocked off the only ways out of D.C. And it's miles away, and the Regulators, and just my luck these Brotherhood guys would chase me down too."

"You pissed a lot of people off, short stuff?"

"Yeah. My dad pissed off these guys though. I don't know what they want… they think they run the country… I'd stay away Butch. They'll kill you if you get in the way." She swallowed the memory of how the Colonel shot Janice. "What am I going to do?"

Butch shrugged. "Get over it, get on with your life."

"My dad just died Butch," she implored ruefully.

"Welcome to the club. I didn't get a break or anything after my mom died. None of us did. Not Christine. Not even _Amata_."

Talia sat back in her seat. Was this some cosmic payback for taking out her anger on Amata's dad? "No, he killed _himself_," she thought out loud. "Geez, I thought you were sympathetic Butch."

"I am. That's gotta suck, with no one to blame and all. I'm just surprised Tal."

"About what? Oh my God, you mean that I'm upset?!"

Butch shifted awkwardly. "Well, the way you smoked the Overseers and… you know, that town."

"You don't know anything about that," she grumbled.

"Yeah, I guess not. I know I don't wanna get on the wrong side of you, so let's change the subject huh?"

She sighed. "I'm not… I'm not like that. Am I?" she asked more to herself.

Butch shrugged non-committally.

She buried her face in her hands. "How do you move on when they've landed you in so much shit?" She looked at Butch. "How do you forgive them?" She asked, knowing Butch's relationship with his mom had not been particularly good. She pushed when he didn't seem to follow. "Your mom was… how did you put up with all that? The drinking, and… Did you feel like you shouldn't be sad?"

He shifted uncomfortably and frowned at her questions, but seeing her earnest expression, or maybe because he was as smashed as she was, he answered. "Honestly, sometimes I didn't. It was kind of a relief. From having to look out for her, and the arguing. But she was still my mom. At least she don't worry about me no more."

"Shit, Butch…" Talia stroked his arm again, tearing up at the emotion she could see in his face.

"Shit. She was kind of a shitty mom. But she was my family. I'm just out here provin' her wrong, y'know?" Talia nodded, squeezing his arm harder as his voice cracked. He took a big breath and reset his usually confident expression. "Don't tell no one about this, yeah?" he muttered.

She scoffed softly. "Who am I gonna tell? We're alone out here…"

"Yeah, right…" he agreed glumly.

But right now Talia didn't feel alone. And somewhere through the whisky haze her brain knew it and didn't want to let it go. The room was humming. The smoke blocked her view. The crowd fell away as she leaned over, planting her lips on Butch's.

She moved against him for a second before he responded, pulling his arm free and slipping it round her waist, kissing her back with a rising urgency that swept her along in its torrid current. She clung to his jacket, falling deep under the feeling she was needed, wanted. His other hand caught her, and his embrace was quicksand. She pulled away only a hair to ask if he had a room here.

He nodded and led her away by the hand.

She held onto him tight, for the gangways were spinning. They staggered into the walls a few times, ignoring the watchful stares of a few security guards. Eventually they stopped outside a cabin hatch. Butch knocked a long rap. "Why you knocking on your own door?" she sniggered, lurching heavily against his arm.

"Roommate," he answered quickly. "We uh, give each other a bit of space when we need it, y'know what I mean?"

"Ugh," she breathed, but closed her eyes and leant on his shoulder.

"Hey man," she heard as the door opened. She kept her eyes shut during the exchange, as though if she didn't see him he wouldn't see her. She was mildly aware of a small voice deep in her mind. She thought it belonged to somebody called Shame.

Butch led her inside and closed the hatch behind them. The sound jolted a memory to the surface of the swamp that was her mind…

_The Weatherly. A job. Burke._

Butch's hands found her waist once more and she turned, resuming their kiss.

_Burke's hands cupped her cheeks, warm and firm, tilting her face to his as he told her how well she'd done. She craved his touch almost as much as his praise, his pleased smile and proud words always making her feel weightless._

Butch reached up to her shoulders, pushing her jacket down and off her arms. Snaking his hands under her sweater, he pulled it up over her head. Her hair mingled between their lips while she shook it off her wrists and threw it aside. She pulled back and wiped her face clear, urging Butch's jacket off too. He shrugged it off eagerly, pulling her back to him and pushing them both toward the cot.

Their feet tangled in her jacket and they staggered, falling into a heap on the thin old naval mattress. "Oh, shit, you okay?"

"Mmmf," Talia nodded.

Butch stood to get out of his Vault suit, and Talia shuffled back into a seat. Now that they were away from the noise of the bar, her ears were ringing. The room was swimming. He climbed beside her in just his underwear, but her mind was everywhere. She barely noticed him kissing her neck, coaxing her backward, foggily coming to as his hands roamed beneath her shirt. She kissed him again, seeking the feeling from the bar, but it wasn't there. Everything was wrong somehow.

As he fumbled with her belt she weakly pushed his hand away. "I can't," she shook her head.

"Drank too much babe? It's okay, we'll go slow." He slid his hand up her waist and moved to kiss her but she turned her head and stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"No, it's not that. I just can't." She shuffled aside, urging him off her. "I'm sorry." She leant up against the wall and hugged her knees.

"Well we… we don't have to do everything…" he sighed a little, stroking her arm.

She shook her head and shrugged off his hand.

"Geez, Tali, you sure know how to wind me up huh," he said, more irately now.

"Butch, don't," she implored, too drunk to rebuke him. "I said I'm sorry. Did you really expect this to make any of us feel better?"

He paused. "Yes!"

She scoffed. She already felt terrible. She cradled her head in a hand. Thankfully Butch went quiet. Despite the mess she was in she sensed she had dodged a bullet. Exes were that for a reason.

"Butch," she pondered after a while. "Did I do something wrong? When we were dating?"

"What? No."

Talia sighed rather than voice how low she felt at that moment.

"I was just a stupid kid, Tal," Butch continued.

After a delay Talia snorted. "Dude, you're like two years older. What are you talking about?"

"Hey, that's a long time," he complained, "I got all the way out here on my own didn't I? You're not special just 'cause you killed the Overseer. I've done things too, y'know."

"Oh yeah?" she asked, interest piqued. "Like what?"

"No way, you'll just laugh."

"No I won't, tell me."

"Yeah right. You've done some pretty intense stuff Tal… I mean, I'm down for action but you… girl, you're a psycho."

She shoved him. "I am _not_. I told you... you don't know anything." She swung her legs over the cot and stood, stumbling across to the other side of the room not entirely on purpose. She steadied herself on the wall and retrieved her sweater from the ground. "I'm not staying here if you're gonna… say things like that," she struggled into it and bent down to grab her jacket, falling on her ass in the process.

"Alright, whatever, you're a god damn saint." Butch's hand hovered in front of her face, offering assistance.

She swatted it away like a fly and rolled onto her knees, heaving herself up via the cot.

"Where you gonna go? Not the common room, that place is for losers. Just crash here."

"No thank you," she wheezed as she failed to get into her upside down jacket. She cursed under her breath and spun it round several times until it made some kind of sense. When it was finally on she headed for the door, bodyweight slamming into it as she turned the wheel.

"Talia," Butch protested.

"_Fuckov_," she sighed over her shoulder. "I know… where I'm going." She heaved the hatch open.

Butch knocked several things over as he hurried into a pair of trousers.

Talia left, collecting Dogmeat who was waiting outside. She meandered down the gangway in the direction of the science lab. Butch caught her up at an intersection, where she was stumbling in circles and struggling to focus on the signage.

"Here," she pointed, striding confidently down to the right. She bounced off the wall with some force.

"Tal, where are you going?" Butch asked behind her.

"Here," she repeated, when the laborious journey ended in front of a hatch. "Dr. Li's room. She's not here, so I can stay here. I just got to break in, but she won't mind." She ran her hands through her hair trying to find a pin. "Damn, do you have… anything like a… a bobby pin? Or a lockpick?"

"Well, not on me. Wait, why would I have a lockpick?"

"Why _would _you have a lockpick?" came an unfamiliar voice.

The pair looked around to see two security guards watching them. "You two better come with us."

Talia made a dash for it. She thought she made it pretty far before one of the guards tackled her. She noticed how little it hurt compared to the first time she face planted the floor under Chief Hannon. She was heaved up against the wall and cuffed.

The guard marched her back up the hallway where she saw Butch getting the same treatment. "Let's get these reprobates to the brigg," her guard said to the other.

"Hey man, chill out!" Butch complained as he was hauled to his feet. "And watch the hair!"

* * *

Burke ran a hand through his hair as he hung his hat in the Littlehorn and Associates office. He'd decided keeping busy in this particular fashion would do him some good right now. His man on the ground had informed him Talia seemed to be stationed at the old Jefferson Memorial, along with a team of scientists who were working on a giant water purification project. _Do-gooders_, he'd thought, but at least she was in one place for the foreseeable future. With any luck she'd get bored by her own account and return. She loved a bit of action, and he could give her plenty of that if she wanted.

"I see you've finally learned how to use the hat stand, Burke?" Miss Underwood's voice barely reached his ears.

He looked at her and then his hat and frowned. "Well that's what it's there for." He also hung his coat.

"What imposter has replaced you?" she questioned. "You haven't intruded on my desk or harassed me once in weeks."

"My apologies. I have business," Burke replied curtly. "Can I go in?"

"Yes," she replied staidly. "And good morning to you too," she muttered, Burke missing her visibly deflate.

"Ah Mr. Burke," Littlehorn called from the far side of his desk. "I wasn't expecting you so soon."

"A pleasant surprise, I hope," Burke forced out calmly.

"Indeed." The old man's eyes glittered black. "Though I thought I would be seeing your protege before you, to be frank."

"Unfortunately she is otherwise engaged at the moment. The wasteland has a habit of interfering with plans, even for the likes of us."

Littlehorn chortled, and Burke swore he glimpsed a forked tongue inside that duplicitous mouth. "Speak for yourself, Mr. Burke. Littlehorn and Associates has been operating without interruption for… oh, as long as I can remember. And so it shall continue, regardless of anybody out there _making waves._"

Burke clenched his jaw. His hunch was right, the old lizard knew what was going on outside. "Excellent," he crooned, hiding his irritation. "Then I can collect some contracts from you and be on my way? I've no doubt I will be in touch with her soon, anyhow."

"Indeed!" Littlehorn waved him out, grinning so widely Burke thought his lower jaw might detach itself, as when a snake needs to swallow a large meal.

He took a folder from an unusually sullen Miss Underwood and flicked through the files before leaving. His jaw slackened at the third sheet, and he pulled it to the top.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, shoving it in front of the secretary's face.

She gave it a cursory glance before shrugging a shoulder. "I just process them, Burke."

"Well it's wrong," he barked.

The secretary looked up at him and smiled joylessly. "I assure you, Burke darling, it is not. _I_ _do not_ _make mistakes._ I'm sure you know as well as I do how long I would last around here if I did." Her smile dropped and she returned to her work in that trance-like fashion Burke often observed.

He let out a growl and stormed back into Littlehorn's office, ignoring Miss Underwood's pleas behind him. "You treacherous, backstabbing _viper_."

"Back so soon?" Littlehorn chirped through the smile still plastered on his face.

"Obviously." He slammed the papers on the desk. "What is she doing in here?"

He peeled up the top sheet between two bony digits and replaced it after a glance. "I don't know _why_ she's here, Mr. Burke. Delicious though, isn't it?"

Burke fumed. "Get rid of it."

"I cannot simply destroy a contract, Burke. It must be fulfilled or retracted by the owner. You know that."

Burke paced on the spot, glaring at Littlehorn, wondering if he could make it across the desk and throttle him before he turned into a swarm of locusts. "Is this some sort of joke? She's one of us. She can't be a target."

Littlehorn shook his head. "Not officially. She's still your charge."

"Yes, damn it, so she has immunity."

"She has not yet set foot in this office. She has not received a formal invitation. I know it sounds bureaucratic, but how else can an operation like this run without getting tangled in its own web?"

Burke sped to the desk. "You ignominious _snake,_" he spat, slamming his fist down on the wood with his last word_._ "She's already completed more jobs than any of the casual contractors on the books."

"All the same, she is not on the books Mr. Burke. Now, I gave you the contract as a courtesy, so you could put your own idea to bed how you see fit. If you wish to argue with me, I can send this document to someone else so it won't bother you any longer." He locked Burke with a questioning look.

Burke willed the old man to be consumed by flames in his very seat. After several moments Littlehorn sat forward and reached toward the papers. Burke swiped the whole pile up before he could touch it.

"Very good. Thank you, Mr. Burke."

Burke could only snarl in response.

"It was a very intriguing plan though. Better luck next time."

Burke stormed out before he lost his resolve not to do anything stupid. Miss Underwood looked up with surprise as he emerged unscathed. "How do you work for him, Miss Underwood?" he asked while roughly donning his hat and coat. "How is it you don't smother him with all this damned paperwork?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Simple, Burke. We have no choice, do we?"

Outside, he read over the contract again before folding it away into his pocket. How had Talia become a target? He didn't even look at the others before setting off to the east. His destination now was D.C., his goal to find her. The project was over.


	22. No Rest For The Wicked

"_Here we are, where it all began. Remember your mother's favourite passage? Revelation 21:6. _

"'_I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life, freely.'_

"_Don't you see? This is what it all means. The water, the purifier. _This _is the water of life. Your mother's dream."_

_James reminded her of the Bible passage again as the purifier facility buzzed with activity once more. Of course she remembered it. She had spent her childhood reading it where a special print sat, framed, on the shelf in their shared Vault quarters. His eyes gleamed as if he'd found the final piece to a puzzle he'd been working on since Catherine died._

Talia became aware of her pillow before she opened her eyes. A groggy sound escaped her throat and she rolled over. She should have stashed some Nuka-Cola in her room last night. Now she was going to have to shuffle down to the cafeteria for the vending machine, and the Overseer didn't like people to be moping around the Vault without being properly dressed_._

Something triggered in her mind and she groped the pillow a few times before realising it didn't feel right. She winked her eyes open one at a time to look around. It took a few seconds for her memories of the past few months to reconfigure themselves in her mind, and she recognised her surroundings as the inside of the Brotherhood of Steel fort. She couldn't say how she got there.

"Good morning, Jailbird," a woman's voice said from across the room.

Talia poked her head over the covers to see a blonde woman sitting in a chair watching her reanimate. "Oh, it's you. Um… from yesterday…"

"Sarah Lyons," Sarah prompted.

"Yeah. Er… can I help you?" Talia croaked.

Sarah laughed. "I don't think so. Not until you've sobered up anyway. Big night?"

Talia blinked several times, testing her vision and trying to remember what happened. "Um… I'm not really sure."

"Let me fill you in: it was heavy but short. Elder Lyons asked me to come speak to you, and I found you and your dog in a jail cell in Rivet City. Hammered, I might add. And all before midnight. That's a strong effort. Thankfully you didn't crash out til I got you back here."

"Jail?" Talia asked with a nonchalance that could only be due to feeling entirely drained or still being drunk. "Ow, why does my face hurt?" She rubbed her jaw tentatively.

"You've got a graze. Must've taken a punch or a fall." Sarah crossed the room to sit on the adjacent bed. "The security guards locked you up for drunk and disorderly behaviour, conspiracy to break and enter, use of profane language against a figure of authority, and solicitation."

"Oh god, what?"

Sarah raised her eyebrows playfully. "Apparently you tried to bargain for your freedom. Don't worry, I had them merge that with the drunk and disorderly charge since you were off your face. To be honest I think that was just a vindictive interpretation of your amusement over you and your friend being in handcuffs."

"_Shit,_ Butch. Where is he?"

"Sleeping it off back in the city. They said he'd go free in the morning with a warning. _You _however, I had to post bail for."

Talia pushed herself up in the bed. "You shoulda left me there. I might've learned something." _Like not to mix booze and Butch._

"And let the Enclave pick you up? Nope."

"Ungh. Enclave?" Talia rubbed her head.

"They're probably looking for anyone that was working on the purifier. Doctor Li was right- you're safest in the Citadel right now."

"Oh. Why do you guys care?"

Sarah frowned at the question before softening. "Oh, I suppose you five had a rough day yesterday. Look, with the return of the Enclave the Brotherhood is at war again. We have to take the purifier back, and there would be a lot more point to that if it actually works. So you and your nerds need to stay here or keep your wits about you out there, you know?"

Talia had expected as much. The Brotherhood of Steel wasn't going to let her run away. They'd just declared war on something like the former government and she was already ensnared in events. Still, this woman wasn't admonishing her actions. And she had gotten her out of trouble she barely knew she was in. "Well, thanks. Will the city be after me too?"

"Oh, they were happy just for me to get you out of there, I think, so long as they don't see you again."

Talia pinched the bridge of her nose. "I see. Well, thank you. I can pay you for the bail. Only, all my caps are back at the tower. If I can get there I can-"

Sarah cut her off with a raised palm. "It doesn't matter. You want to pay me back? Help us with this thing. And don't run off getting arrested anymore."

Talia privately agreed that was a good idea considering how many people seemed to be after her now. She nodded and Sarah grinned.

"Now drink this." She handed Talia a tall glass of something that looked more like it ought to be served in a bucket and poured into an engine.

"What is it?"

"Hangover cure. Tried and tested."

Talia sniffed it.

"You probably don't want to know what's in it. But it will have you feeling better in no time."

"I'm really not feeling that bad," Talia chirped.

"Oh but you will, I can see it coming. This will stave off the worst of it, trust me."

Talia shrugged. Accepting strange drinks from strange soldiers in a secretive, almost religious army seemed dumb. But the last time she did something similar she followed up by nuking a town off the map. It couldn't be any worse, right?

It actually tasted kind of spicy, and Sarah was probably right. A hangover may not have been incoming at all, but somehow Talia doubted it as portions of the night flashed back while she cleaned up. But still most of it remained a blank.

"It's a blessing you can't talk, Dogmeat," she commented as he followed her back to the bunk room from the showers.

The building was in decent condition with fairly comfortable living quarters, partially because it was an old government building. Something called the Pentagon, which rang a bell from history classes. It had been built to be relatively bomb proof with much of it stretching underground, and the Brotherhood of Steel had done a good job fortifying its remains to use as their base in D.C.

She assumed she'd awoken in the same room she was put in when she arrived; she didn't really remember anything after entering the Citadel courtyard. They had emerged from the tunnel in front of a large set of steel doors, guarded by soldiers in power armour similar to that worn by the Enclave. They were refused entry. _No supermutants, civilians or travelling salesmen allowed. _Li pushed past the guard and yelled down the intercom herself. She _demanded_ entrance, Talia remembered that clear as day. The woman was at the end of her rope, but had saved enough to hang anyone who tried to stop them taking this final step to safety.

The Elder allowed them in. They were greeted by more soldiers in power armour. An old man in strange robes. Sarah. Li almost collapsed, telling Talia they were safe but warning her not to trust the Brotherhood. Sarah's words fell on deaf ears as Talia finally relaxed her hold on her weapon and sank to the floor.

Now she was present and sober, Talia saw Sarah more clearly as she reentered the bunk room. She was young, hair swept neatly into a practical bun, and she held herself with impeccable posture. She was sipping a coffee and looking at Talia with evident interest.

"So how did you get those egg heads out of the tunnels?"

Talia sat on the bed in her towel. Sarah didn't move or adjust her gaze. A life of communal showers and sleeping arrangements probably didn't foster much sense of privacy. She sighed as she tried to recall the previous day. "I don't really know. I mean I remember what happened, but I was kinda… watching myself. It was weird. I just forgot everything that went down and moved forward. Doctor Li really handled the others. I cleared the path. There were some Enclave, a lot of ghouls. I can't believe it was me that was shooting the place up."

"Well it was. Good job, girl. Sounds like you had some training kick in. Or a near death experience."

She puffed her cheeks. "Both?"

"Where'd you learn how to take care of yourself? And when? Can't be much older than twenty?"

"Oh, um, I took on some special work when I got out of the Vault-" She paused. "I assume you know about the Vault?" Several people in the Citadel had already stopped her to mention knowing of or working with her dad.

Sarah nodded. Of course.

"Well I've been learning everything there is to know about staying alive out here since then." She shrugged and looked over her now single set of clothes, grimacing at the thought of getting back into them.

"Here," Sarah tossed her a set of fatigues. "You might be able to get some more if you sweet talk the laundry guys, but borrow mine for now, we're about the same size."

Talia sent her an embarrassed but grateful smile. "Oh. Thank you. Man, I feel like such a vagrant."

"Don't worry about it. So, a few weeks with the Brotherhood and you might be good enough to join the Pride." She chuckled.

Talia made a questioning noise while turning to get dressed.

"That's my unit. Best of the Brotherhood. No one gets in without my say so."

"Your unit? But you're what… a few years older than me?"

"Twenty six."

"No shit!"

"Age is just a number. Well, you have to be old enough to start combat training to begin with around here. But I mean it doesn't make you better just because you're older. Ask anyone, they'll tell you I got to Sentinel on merit and nothing else. Even if I am the Elder's daughter. Everyone wishes they were good enough to be in the Lyons' Pride."

"I know the feeling. I got a pretty sweet set up where I live and everyone thought I slept my way in."

"And did you?"

"What? No!"

"Sorry, it's just with the solicitation charge, you know…"

Talia caught her smirk and laughed. If she didn't she might cry. "What a mess."

"Those rumours are always flying around, even here. I swear it's as if we've got nothing more pressing going on."

"I'm going to choose to believe it's because people are romantics-"

"Not just that they need to get laid? Sure. Oh shit, how'd you get that?"

Talia followed Sarah's gaze to the scar on her thigh. "Oh, ran into some guys who didn't like me much. Got me with a knife when I thought he was down."

"Shit. Recently?"

"A month or two ago. I can still feel it. Hasn't slowed me down so far though."

"Damn girl, you don't say. You're a tough one, I'll give you that. One of our initiates got hurt in hand to hand training the other week- cried like a little bitch."

Talia giggled at Sarah's blunt appraisal.

"Check this out." She pulled her arm under her shirt and rolled the fabric over her shoulder. On the outside of her upper arm was a patch of skin darker than the rest. "Bullet wound. Doesn't look like much now."

"Was that-? No, couldn't be Enclave, they've just reappeared right?"

"Ha! I wish." Sarah replaced her shirt and smiled. "My one real wound and it wasn't even in combat. If you see Squire Maxson around here- he's the little kid- _don't_ let him touch your guns."

"What happened?"

"I tried to teach him some things… but let's say there's a reason we have a minimum age for combat training."

Talia raised her eyebrows. "If that's your only wound, you can teach me. I think someone's got one of those voodoo dolls of me."

"Oh, no mistake, I've been hurt. But power armour stops you getting shot to pieces. So long as you wear it…"

"How does it work?"

"I don't know _how_ it works, just that it does. Talk to Scribe Bowditch for the details. If you've got a few days to spare that is. But it makes us stronger, able to carry heavy weapons and heavier armour that's impervious to small arms."

"So... like a mini tank."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"I knew it."

"Anyway, enough of the questions," Sarah rounded up as Talia laced up her boots. "What is it you need to do next regarding the purifier? The Elder said we should assist your group until we're ready to make a move on the Enclave."

"Oh, we uh… we needed to find some Vault-Tec gear. Li and… and Dad were looking for information on pre-war computers in the lab."

"Pre-war tech is what we're all about. But for computers you'll have to speak to the Scribes. Scribe Rothchild will know what you need. I'll show you after breakfast."

* * *

Scribe Rothchild told Talia they had an actual Vault-Tec terminal in the archives and directed her there once she'd torn her eyes away from his favourite project: _Liberty Prime._

He was Head Scribe, which meant he oversaw the Senior Scribes who led the three _Orders _of the Brotherhood: the Sword, Shield, and Quill. Their role was known as Proctor. In the lab, where she found Rothchild, Talia had also met the Proctor of the Sword, Scribe Peabody. (His immense opinion of himself and his intellect, which he held in much higher regard in general than those "dumb grunts" who actually used the weapons he developed, amused Talia greatly. He reminded her of Butch, if he had any of that intellect.)

As Head Scribe, Rothchild also got to choose a project in which to be personally involved. From their initial conversation and his appearance as an elederly academic (further enhanced by the monk-like robes worn by those in the research arm), Talia didn't expect his special interest to be in giant soldier robots. But as soon as she asked about the forty foot tall steel humanoid dominating the lab space, he had ignited with just barely professional enthusiasm.

"_Magnificent, isn't he? We found him well over twenty years ago. 'Liberty Prime' was the designation we found on him. He was developed as a superweapon before the war, the first joint operation between RobCo and General Atomics International. He was supposed to liberate Alaska from the Chinese, but they had to go in before he was completed. _

"_And so we've been unable to power him in all this time. Well, not to an operational standard. It's the energy consumption you see. Something so big, with such advanced weapon systems…"_

"_Big boy has an appetite, huh?"_

"_Oh, you sound just like Sentinel Lyons. No appreciation…"_

In the archives Talia charmed a young Scribe into searching the Vault-Tec terminal for information on the whereabouts of a G.E.C.K. She wasn't really one for tedious study. But he found the information surprisingly quickly. He said the terminal had been repaired and scoured for all data long ago, be it hidden, deleted, encrypted or corrupted. The information she sought was just waiting there for interested eyes to view it.

"Those nerds sure are efficient," Sarah commented when Talia returned to her in the _Lyons' Den_ before lunch. "So what did you find?"

"The thing my dad needed is called a G.E.C.K. Vault 87 had one. It's here," she showed her the location on her Pip-Boy map. "But Rothchild says the entrance was bombed and the area is too irradiated to cross."

"So? There must be another way?"

"That's what he thinks. The Vault is next to some natural caverns. He said there could be a way in through them, but they were never explored. He'd 'be grateful for any data I can bring back if I find a way in.'" She rolled her eyes at the flippancy of the comment.

Sarah grinned. "That man is hungry for information and he doesn't care who has to risk their neck to get it. Well, let's get lunch early. We'll have a lot of prep to do to make this excursion, and we'll have to leave early to slip by the Enclave roadblocks."

Talia blanched, eyes following Sarah up as she sprang from her seat. "_We?"_

"Yes. I've been tasked to assist you. I can't let you wander halfway across the wasteland on your own- I know what kind of trouble you get into. Plus, if this geck will make the purifier work, it should be a priority mission to get it here safely. It should only take a few days.

"So, the sooner we leave, the sooner we can take the fight to these Enclave assholes and kick them out of that purifier."

* * *

And so it was Talia found herself heading to bed not twelve hours after waking, in order to get up at 3 a.m. so she and Sarah could sneak out of D.C. under the cover of darkness. She would have liked to hide under the blankets all day instead, but if it was this or being found in jail by an Enclave agent or Regulator, she wasn't going to complain to Sarah about it.

There was something she liked about the young Sentinel, something she could relate to, and a whole lot she couldn't. They were close in age. Age may just be a number, but knowing Sarah likely understood where Talia was coming from, even if she didn't have the same problems herself, counted for a whole lot. Despite being the most celebrated soldier in the Citadel, she was still the subject of gossip and attention. She was a young woman after all. Sarah didn't seem the least bit phased, or even interested in anyone, though there was no reason for her to talk to Talia about it; she was solely focussed on pursuing whatever the scientists needed so she could get back to fighting the war.

And therein lied the difference. Talia was well and truly caught up in plans she'd only learned about just over a week ago. This Enclave, she'd learned, were remnants of the USA's elite. They had protected themselves from the bombs and had already tried to retake and rule over the scorched land and its inhabitants elsewhere in North America. The Brotherhood were their natural enemies, regardless that the East Coast chapter was no longer recognised by its superiors in the west.

It made Talia's head spin. But the gist of it was that she couldn't just run home and ignore it. The Enclave wanted the country and the purifier was going to help them win over the capital. Li, Alex, Daniel, and Talia were key to making it work, at least in the Enclave's eyes. And Three Dog's _Good Fight _apparently required everyone who could hear to know that Talia resided at Tenpenny Tower. Reluctantly she started to wonder if she really was a vagrant. Could she really entertain returning to the tower, even briefly?

She thought of her room. The bar. Burke's room, smoke filled and quiet, insulated from the other penthouse residents by the garden and its own hallway. She couldn't risk bringing this well equipped, ruthless army anywhere near the tower. Gustavo and his men couldn't hold off power armoured troops with plasma weapons. And if they did, a _vertibird _gunship could drop more inside or shoot up the tower itself.

She sat cross legged on her bunk and pulled out the paper and pencil she'd swiped from the archives. She wanted to write to Burke. Just because she didn't know when or how she could see him again. Definitely not because she worried she might not come back from this trip, despite how excited Sarah appeared about a chance to tangle with some Enclave troops.

She bit the end of the pencil and stared at the blank page.

For five minutes.

One of the Knights quartered in the room entered. "Well I've been hearing about the outsider all day, and I finally find you squirrelled away here, wrapped up in your own thoughts. What are you writing? Not making notes I hope…"

"Huh?" Talia peered up at the woman, not really paying attention.

"I'm just messing. Some people aren't sure about having an outsider in here, but Elder Lyons trusts you, and I trust his judgement."

"Oh, I see. No, nothing like that. I'm heading out with Sarah soon. I'm trying to write to someone before I go. But I don't know what to say."

"Well, I know that feeling. You must know what you want to say?"

Talia sighed and let it all tumble out of her chest, free of the worry of how it looked or how few sheets of paper she had left if she had to restart. "That I don't like how things got left between us, that I miss him, that I want to come back but I can't, I don't know how things got so crazy. I just want to see him… he always knows what to do..."

The Knight paused a moment until Talia had clearly finished. "Then write that," she shrugged. "Nothing good can come of holding back before you go out on patrol. Trust me."

Talia took the finished letter to Li. Despite her standoffishness, she trusted her to do the right thing and ensure it got to a courier. What she'd said about not trusting the Brotherhood stuck in the back of her mind, and the Knight mentioning a distrust of outsiders made her wonder whether her outgoing mail would even make it out of the Citadel.

On her way back to bed, a tall woman in her forties or fifties stopped her in the hallway. Her eyes were piercing and she was made more imposing by the power armour she wore. "Hail to you. By the traction of our hospitality and on the word of Elder Lyons, I welcome you to the Citadel."

"Um. Hi?"

"I am Star Paladin Cross, Keeper of the ARM, and Seneshal to Elder Lyons."

Talia smiled as if she understood more than two words she'd said.

"I am honoured to say that I was acquainted with your father."

"Oh, thank you. How did you know him?" Talia asked almost robotically. She'd been batting off well wishers all day and was now just looking forward to some sleep after the previous night.

"Long ago I helped guard the water purifier against the mutant horde. When your father left, I escorted him, _and you_, to Megaton."

Talia blinked a few times as the words sunk in, kicking up Moriarty's words from months ago. "_Your father, his Brotherhood of Steel Friend, and you…"_

"That was you in Megaton? In the bar?"

"Yes, as I said, I was escorting the two of you to a safe place, far away from the city ruins. I was saddened to hear of his passing. He was… a noble man. From what I heard, he died with honour. He died for you.

"I only pray that my own death has such meaning."

Talia frowned at the strange addendum. She shook her head. "What does it matter? Death is death… he's gone."

"True. And in the end, death claims us all. But how we die can say as much about our lives as how we lived. Your father died for what he knew to be right, and he died protecting those closest to him. This is a good man's death."

Talia was getting used to the slightly weird vibes of the inhabitants of this place, but she was too tired for it not to rub her the wrong way. "A good man's death, huh. I guess that makes all the hurt okay." The woman either ignored or missed her meaning.

"With love must come pain. Continue to remember him, continue to tell his story, and continue to do his work. Through you, he shall carry on."

Despite Talia badly suppressing a yawn, Cross carried on in her tone that was as curt and staunch as her hair. "As for you, I have heard tales of your travels in the wastes. I must say, I am disturbed by them. I had hoped to fight by the side of the child of my former friend, but my conscience cannot allow it."

Talia blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"We have said all that we have to say to one another." With that Cross continued down the hallway, leaving Talia mostly confused, a little upset, and slightly offended.

"Rich, for a woman who left us in a town run by the likes of Moriarty," she muttered to Dogmeat, thinking of nothing now but the sweet embrace of her set of Brotherhood issue blankets. Even if they were kind of itchy.


	23. Private Investigations

The city was shrinking behind them by the time the sun rose. Talia and Sarah skirted the river for some miles before breaking off west, taking the route on which Sarah least expected to find any Enclave checkpoints.

Sarah had just finished demonstrating how to kill a man by stabbing him in the kidneys. "Now you try."

"Oh, maybe when we take a break. It's a really long way and I wanna keep my eyes open for anybody."

"Good thinking," Sarah flipped her knife before sheathing it. "Do you even have a knife? Gotta have a knife."

"Yeah," Talia showed hers.

"Eh," Sarah sniffed at it. "It's practical I guess. No the best for fighting though. I like 'em more like mine. And that grip's gonna be no good for your hands in a situation like that."

"Oh? There aren't really any knife fighters in the tower. It's more for cutting stuff than… that."

"Gotta have options, girl. Plus, it scares the shit out of people when they see you go for the knife. Or better if they don't see you at all."

"Right." Talia let her wax on about a subject that was clearly close to her heart, wondering if this was how she'd risen to Sentinel so young or if this was how all children of Steel turned out. "And have you ever done that for real?" She couldn't really see how a squad of heavily armed Knights could need to resort to such close combat.

"Oh, sure. Not for a while though. Been busy with supermutants mostly, so you can imagine it's a little bit more difficult with something seven feet tall with skin like tough leather." She sighed contentedly. "Ah, I'm tellin' you, it's nice to be away from the city actually. It's where the action is for sure, but this open space, the quiet, the chance to use my knife for a change. It feels good!"

Talia raised her eyebrows. "I prefer relaxing in a nice hot bath, but whatever floats your boat."

They continued in silence for a while, the main threat of Enclave roadblocks far behind them for now. They were dressed as a pair of wastelanders so as not to attract any more attention than necessary, and hoped to bluff their way past any more Enclave troops if they were even to be found this far from the city. Talia was feeling much better after a decent sleep, and Star Paladin Cross' words from the evening prior drifted back to the forefront of her mind as they walked.

"What's the deal with that Cross woman? Star Paladin?"

"Star Paladin Cross. She's Elder Lyons' personal bodyguard. And the highest ranking Brother, so mind your tongue around her, hey?"

"Oh, I see. I ran into her last night. Is she kinda… odd?"

"She's a cyborg, if that's what you mean."

"What?!"

"Well, maybe it sounds quite extreme. She's had a number of 'technological enhancements'. Years ago now. You never seen that?"

"No. I mean I don't think so. Huh…" She thought back over their interaction. "That actually explains a lot."

Despite Cross' wooden delivery, her words were full of noble intent. She had hoped to fight by Talia's side? Why? Was she desperate to finish a twenty year old project too? She seemed to think extremely highly of James, so perhaps she was living by her own words and finishing his work as a kind of memorial.

But that was what James was doing. All this time. The water. The Bible verse. _Your mother's dream._ Her whole life he had seemed most alive when trying to share his memories of Catherine with Talia. Until the outside. Here he had been a whole new man. Only 'new' wasn't the right word. Resurrected, with a single aim from the past rather than looking to a new life ahead. His vision was that of Catherine's. The verse that spoke to her so strongly had almost become a reality because of his efforts. And after her death, the goal hadn't faded any less than his love for her.

Talia swallowed a lump in her throat. The pain was still raw, the anger still simmering over how he chose to leave her like that. But she had to concede Cross' words seemed to fit. And shit, it wasn't half romantic that he had built what he had in order to bring life to her mom's favourite words. Everyone in the Citadel credited him as a visionary, the great mind behind the project, but Mom was the ideator. He was the energy, the driving force.

And wasn't it true? She left the Vault only after he did. So what was his plan when he caused the overload? She wasn't sure he had one.

"So tell me," Sarah interrupted her thoughts. "What do I need to know about you? Someone after you?"

"Huh?"

"People have told me things. I'd ignore it as rumour, only you're awfully watchful."

"It's not smart to walk out here without staying aware of your surroundings."

"True. But I need to know if we should be expecting anybody."

She probably knew everything anyway, but she wasn't asking about that. She simply seemed focussed on whether it would affect the mission. Talia cleared her throat. "Well, I haven't seen them in a while, they might not be interested anymore…" She wondered if Burke had actually succeeded in scaring them away.

"Who?"

"Regulators."

"Ha! Those guys that like to dress up and play Sheriff? Alright. Anyone else?"

Talia shrugged and shook her head.

"Okay."

Talia took a sidelong glance, but Sarah seemed satisfied with the information. The coil in her stomach unwound and she muttered thanks under her breath.

"What was that?" Sarah asked.

"Oh, I said, man look at that," she covered, pointing behind them to the east, where the morning sun had painted the sky in beautiful hues of pink and orange. She still hadn't tired of seeing it.

Sarah followed her gaze. "Red sky in the morning. Could be some bad weather coming… real pretty right now though, huh.

"I sometimes forget there's more out there than the city rubble and mutants. That sun has been rising for millions of years and will keep doing it for millions more, and it will always look that gorgeous whether or not anybody's around to see it. We're just drops in the ocean, huh."

* * *

The rain began to come down as Burke reached Wilhelm's Wharf on the northern edge of the city. The universe sometimes had a grand sense of timing. Truthfully he disliked the city. Or at least the ruins of it. Rivet City itself was enjoyable enough; crowded with the hungry and desperate, run by the honourable and corrupt alike, each as predictable as the other, with a healthy smattering of unscrupulous individuals throughout. It was rife with opportunity for making a quick buck, though he'd always been interested in a longer affair; the security was too tight to really work the system from the outside, so one would need to wield some amount of control. The city council was the key to that.

But the ruins… the remains of the city were too badly damaged to repair like he'd arranged for Tenpenny Tower, too numerous and dense for the methods available. And until they turned to ash they made reaching the city painfully laborious. Furthermore, they had been infested with supermutants for as long as he could remember. The Brotherhood of Steel gave them a kicking every now and then but had achieved little more than that. Add in raider gangs hiding in the rubble like the rats they were, picking off the unwary traveller who had avoided kidnap or liquefaction at the hands of the mutants… it didn't make for much opportunity for growth as he saw it.

The only half safe route in was along the river from the north, past an old bar and grill now run by an elderly but entirely capable woman calling herself Grandma Sparkle. She provided a place to fuel up before leaving or a last meal before entering, and she always knew what had been happening in the area.

"Well look who it is. Mr. Burke, it's bin awhile! Sit yerself down young man. I've got some fresh crabcakes today. The boys caught a coupla 'lurks last night. Oh, and where's that young lady who was with you before?"

"I can't stay," Burke raised a hand as she pulled out a chair on a quayside table. "That's actually why I'm passing through. She's been working down near Rivet City. I was hoping to find her. Has anything been happening in these parts?"

"Has anythin' bin happenin'?! Where have you been? Not two days ago I saw some o' them vertibirds I think they call 'em. Flew right overhead they did. I since heard they took over that old water purifier. Folks sayin' they're back, stationed all around, though I haven't seen any. I'm surprised you haven't run into them if that really is the case."

"Who, woman, who?" Burke pressed, suddenly more tense than he'd already been.

"The Enclave, Mr. Burke. You know, them recordings off the radio. Seems like there was still somebody alive behind 'em after all."

"And they're at the purifier?"

"That's what folks told me. I saw 'em go that way, nothin' more wi' my own eyes though."

"And the city?"

The old woman shrugged, adjusting the hunting rifle slung over her shoulder. "Same as always as far as I heard."

Burke paused while he assessed the information. "Thank you, Ms. Sparkle. You've been most helpful, as always."

"You're very welcome. Now, don't run off til you tried one of these crabcakes. Why not have a drink too? You seem awful tense."

"No, I have to go. I need to see what else the Enclave are doing… and whether they have our friend." He finished his sentence over his shoulder while leaving the quayside dining area.

"Oh I see. Well alright, I won't keep ya. Make sure y'all come back here when you find her, y'hear? I'll have a coupla fresh 'lurks again soon I reckon."

He waved a hand in acknowledgement as he headed back to the surviving bridge. Rivet City was on the other bank, and so was the old purifier facility. _The Enclave!_ He had to see this for himself. Presumably they wanted the purifier because it would be an ace in the hand of whomever controlled it. The common people were never far from being desperate for clean water, since local purification was available in relatively small quantities only in places with the technical ability and the means to protect it. And if the Enclave wanted the purifier then it must be working.

All that time spent teaching Talia discretion. Typical that her father's work should draw the attention of not only the entire city, but the Enclave. Perhaps it was even the reason for whomever had sent her name to Littlehorn; anybody effecting big change in the wasteland was bound to cause somebody else problems. _Damn do-gooders._

He pushed on until Rivet City was almost in sight. He didn't have to wonder where the purifier was exactly. He could see a glow in the distance, and as he neared he made out a few crowds of people lining the approach. He accosted the first group to ask what was going on. Nothing much was the answer. The Enclave had erected an energy shield around the facility since flying in, and curious people were just waiting to see what happened next.

He almost envied their simple existence.

He continued toward the energy shield. It grew brighter and taller, a multi-story transparent wall of shimmering blue light enclosing what used to be an impressive building in of itself. A small crowd had also formed close to the barrier and the people there were testing the energy shield by throwing various objects at it. A cheer went up when, instead of bouncing off, a mutfruit liquified on impact.

Down to the left Burke spied a single Enclave soldier ambling towards them. Even being entirely covered in power armour the colour of anthracite, he could tell the soldier was swamped in a kind of defeated frustration.

"Alright people, how many more times are you gonna make me come out here? Please don't mess with the shields. You must have tested everything by now. It either bounces or it breaks. You _must _be getting bored." His last statement was more of a plea.

"Nah, sometimes it turns to goo like that fruit!" someone from the crowd answered.

"Sometimes it sparks!"

"I bet we could make something skip if we get the angle right!" someone else offered.

The soldier's helmet shook side to side as the crowd bubbled with excitement at this new challenge. Burke followed him as he stepped aside, shoulders sagging despite the solid armour not moving an inch.

"Welcome to the wasteland," Burke crooned wryly.

"Sir, before you ask: no you cannot touch my gun or try on my helmet, I cannot shoot the shields for you, and I must advise you against trying to throw things over the top. As official PR officer however, I am able to answer any actual questions you have _about the operation_."

"Lieutenant," Burke said on noticing the rank insignia on his armour, "do I look like one of these knuckle draggers? I'm not here to bother you with such inane stupidity. However I will take you up on your offer to discuss the operation. Cigarette?" He took one for himself and offered them up to the young officer, who accepted after a small hesitation.

"Yeah, I guess you don't look like them." He removed his helmet, revealing a head of short blonde hair and a face that could barely be a day over twenty two. Or perhaps the Enclave, in their genetic purity, retained an exceptionally healthy, youthful appearance.

"Name's Miller," Burke lied as he held a flame for the officer.

"Sloan," the young man responded after poorly hiding how much he had enjoyed that first drag.

"Tough day?"

"Mmm… who's asking?"

Burke affected embarrassment. "Oh, of course. Elliott Miller. I write for the Times in Rivet City- it's a newspaper. Well, the only one worth the paper it's printed on. Or rather, the bits. Not much paper around you see. We're part paper, part digital, part old fashioned town crying, I suppose. The people of the city need to learn what's going on somehow, apocalypse or not! Even the ones that can't read." He waffled amicably until he saw signs the officer had relaxed his guard. "So, the Enclave exists, and arrived just after those scientists restarted this project. Does that mean this is a joint effort?"

"Er, I can't comment on the exact details, but the effort for clean water in the tidal basin is being led by the Enclave."

"I see. Very noble. And do you have any estimation as to when it will be operational?"

"No specific dates can be given as yet."

"Of course. It all sounds very complicated. And what is the need for all of these defences?"

"Such a valuable resource requires protection. Though only a few would be foolish enough to attack the Enclave."

"...You mean the Brotherhood of Steel?"

"I can't comment on the specifics."

Burke smirked and took another drag with Sloan. "Now, I'm just thinking out loud here, but I heard those scientists started this project alongside the Brotherhood of Steel a long time ago. Have they really switched sides now to work with the Enclave?"

"I cannot comment on the motivations of those individuals."

Burke smiled skeptically. "Forgive me, Lieutenant Sloan. But how can I take any of this to the city? It's all very vague."

"I have my orders, sir-"

"Please, call me Elliott."

"Elliott… I can answer questions but only within my remit. The Enclave has everything under control and will soon deliver pure water to the area. Is that not enough for a story?"

"Soon! So the scientists _have_ stayed on?"

"That's… that's not what I said."

"So they refused to work with you? What happened to them?"

"That's not what I said either. Ugh, I can't comment!"

Burke acted mildly exasperated. "Sloan, my boy, help me out here."

"Boy? Listen, _wastelander_, I'm the one in charge here. I told you the facts, now you should go report that. This is _good_ news. I'm giving you it right from the source. What paper did you say you worked for again? If you insist on twisting my words then I'm going to have you checked out."

Burke held up his hands in faux surrender. "Alright, alright," he said in a low voice. "You got me Lieutenant. I'm no journalist. I'm just doing a little… private investigation."

"What for? State your intentions immediately." Sloan sounded slightly panicked. The mob had really worn him down, or his superiors had told him to push one very rigid line and he was worried he was about to go down in writing as giving away more than he was supposed to.

"Profit, my boy, nothing more. Calm down, I'll level with you. I sell insurance. With the Enclave suddenly on the scene I wanted to get in with you first, see if there's a market, you know? Nothing for you to worry about. Well, not unless you don't have any insurance, that is."

"Insurance," Sloan repeated slowly, looking Burke up and down.

"Yes. Sorry about the newspaper thing. People aren't very open to insurance men, and I just wanted to find out more about what's going on here first. This lot know next to nothing."

"Insurance exists out here?"

Burke chuckled bashfully. "Indeed it does. We're not all spear wielding tribals, you know."

Sloan smiled a thin smile. "What kind of insurance?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Personal injury, mostly. People are trying to rebuild everywhere, but with scavenged materials, lacking the manpower, tools or even knowledge to do so properly. I'm telling you, if they didn't have the option of my insurance, many would rather live like tribals than risk being maimed or killed by an unsound building falling apart on top of them. Or malfunctioning machinery. Unsafe work methods. Gas leaks, chemical burns, poisoning, smoke inhalation, exploding cars, exploding engines, exploding factories, exploding labs-"

"Okay, I get the picture," Sloan interrupted.

Burke glanced over his shoulder and added one more. "Even angry mobs.

"You would think wastelanders would support progress, but the war has left us with a lot of knuckle draggers like you see here. They'll turn on you as easily as they get spooked, you see. Moving the country forward is a dangerous business. But some are willing to be part of it- _if_ they can buy a comfortable life with their payout should any of the aforementioned accidents occur."

Sloan shifted on his feet and Burke could see the cogs turning behind his blue eyes. "This mob is no match for us though."

"I agree. Just look at the technology you have here. No one has seen anything like it, as I'm sure you've noticed."

Sloan looked pained as he glanced at the crowd again, the energy fence fizzing and crackling under their barrage of miscellany.

Burke continued. "But what of the purifier here? Oh, I'm probably wasting my time. Your whole outfit seems to know what it's doing. I'm sure you're covered if this whole facility is blown sky high for some reason."

"W- Why would it do that?" Sloan asked a little too urgently.

Burke shrugged. "I've no idea, but I sell enough policies that cover industrial explosions to suggest it's not as unlikely as you'd hope.

"But I'm sure the scientists in there know what they're doing. My whole job is based around thinking about the _worst case scenario._ I understand not everyone likes to think about it. Only you can decide if the risk is great enough to warrant insuring yourself against it." He backed off and focussed on finishing the rest of his cigarette.

Sloan took a few steps closer. "And, er, how would a man go about getting one of these policies?"

"Oh, simple," Burke answered nonchalantly. "I just ask him what kinds of accidents he wants to cover and how he wants to pay, fill out a form, one copy each, and he's covered as soon as they're signed." He turned to Sloan and blinked as though he only just followed the reason for his question. "Oh, why, are you saying you're interested?"

"Er… maybe for the explosions part."

"Maybe or definitely? I can't _maybe _cover explosions."

"Explosions, definitely... And mobs. Just in case." He caught Burke's curious glance at the cheerful crowd, who were trying to skip stones across the force field, and elaborated. "It's my first encounter with wastelanders, and it's not at all like the training said."

Burke nodded. "Very wise, very safe. And the explosions? Don't trust wasteland engineering?"

"Not without wasteland engineers. It all seems very haphazard, not at all in line with our scientist's ways." Sloan seemed to be talking to himself at this point. "This purifier seems more like an animal they're struggling to tame without its trainer."

_B__ingo_. The scientists were not inside, which probably meant Talia and the others had made their escape somehow. But to where?

"Any idea where they are?" Burke nudged while making a show of searching for something in his satchel.

"I… I can't discuss that," Sloan answered, realising his slip of the tongue. But not before he'd sighed with the exasperation of one who had no idea.

Burke continued smoothly. "Well, I suggest you find out just how much of a grasp your people have of this facility, as the price of your policy depends somewhat on the chances of a catastrophe occuring.

"However, your caps are safe for now as I'm afraid I'm out of forms. This all happened so quickly you see. I came here to find out what was going on as soon as I heard, but I was already due to return to the office. Anyway I'll give you my details and return as soon as I can with a preliminary policy."

He shook Sloan's hand and wagged his eyebrows. "Try to avoid having any accidents in the meantime." Burke smiled and Sloan laughed nervously, pocketing Burke's card.

Burke flipped up the collar of his overcoat and left the spit of land on which the memorial sat. With no clues as to where Talia might have fled, but confident she was not imprisoned within the Enclave energy fence, he would continue to Rivet City. With it's heavy security and Grandma Sparkle's word the Enclave had not invaded, it would still be a reasonably safe haven, large enough for a handful of people to hide out. If nothing more, there were plenty of people who might know what became of the team from the purifier.

* * *

Talia crouched behind a rock as green plumes of plasma burst against the tree above her, sending splinters of deadwood flying in all directions. They were strange weapons, the projectile large and seemingly slow. It was not really an object at all like a bullet, but rather a glowing hot green ball that seemed to pull itself through the air, like a flame apparating along an invisible stream of flammable gas. At least she assumed it was hot from the hissing sound that came with every strike.

"Look alive soldier!" Sarah yelled to her left. "I need you to cover me. Can you do that?"

Talia nodded.

"I mean really cover me. I'm gonna flank 'em, get close enough for a couple grenades, show's over. You got that?"

"Yes!"

"Alright, do it!"

Talia rolled onto her front, peeking around the rock just enough to fire back at the two remaining Enclave soldiers while Sarah darted left. They had tried talking their way past the outpost, but things started heading south. Sarah had taken out the officer quietly with her knife (not in the kidneys though- too slow), giving them time to dash to cover before the two grunts realised what had happened.

She wasn't hitting them but it worked; the plasma stopped flying while she hailed down bullets on their position. She caught a glimpse of Sarah behind the old truck, then two eggs sailed silently overhead. The second blast followed the first by a split second. Talia jumped up along with Sarah and they reached the Enclave barricade together, firing into the downed troops for good measure.

"Ha! Have that! Oh man, I thought these guys were gonna be tough. Two on three, we _smashed_ them!" Sarah was positively beaming.

"You love this shit don't you?"

"What's not to love?"

Talia shrugged with a chuckle and stepped over to inspect the plasma rifle dropped by one of the soldiers.

"Good drills Talia. You know your stuff for a civilian," Sarah commented while she inspected the bodies.

"Really?"

"Sure."

"I learned from some ex mercs."

"Mercs huh? Must be one of the better crews. Some of them are nothin' but thugs. Which is fine if that's all you want from them, I guess."

"Oh? Guess I got lucky." Of course Burke had hired the best for security. She'd never thought about that.

"Thinking about upgrading?" Sarah asked as Talia aimed down the sights of the Enclave weapon. "That rifle of yours is alright. Quaint, but it still does the job."

Talia laughed. "Well no, I don't even know how this thing works. Your laser rifle is awesome though."

"Of course. I love it. Don't have to adjust for wind, range, movement, anything. You want a go?"

Talia set the plasma rifle back down and took up Sarah's offer with an enthusiastic nod. She fired at a distant tree and whistled as the dead branches ignited. "So what you're saying is, you don't have to be as good a shot?"

"Mind your tongue you cheeky cow," Sarah joked, taking her rifle back. "It's damn lethal, is what I mean. And it isn't from the stone age like your pea shooter."

Talia giggled. "And your knife gets a pass does it?"

"Yeah… there's just something visceral, _primal_ you know? _Damn._"

Talia raised her eyebrows again as Sarah spoke about her knife in a way Talia might gush about her favourite flavour of cheesecake. "Well, I know how my gun works, which means I can keep it working, which is good enough for me."

Sarah nodded. "That's the main thing. If all our initiates were like you we'd have a lot less numbskulls driving Paladin Gunny up the wall. Here, help me with this will you?" Sarah started rolling one of the bodies over onto its front.

Talia obliged and changed the subject. "Sarah, were you _flirting _back there?"

Sarah shrugged. "I got the idea from you and your escapades in Rivet City."

"Hey, I didn't do that!" Talia protested at the reference to the solicitation charge.

"How do you know? Do you remember?" Sarah asked with a smirk.

Talia was stumped. "I _probably_ didn't do that. Why would I?"

"I'm just messing, girl. Look, I prefer going head to head in a fight, but we're out here, just the two of us, undercover, without armour. Don't judge me."

"I'm not… what are you doing?"

Sarah was running her hands around the Enclave power armour. "Looking for a release mechanism or something. This armour looks better than ours. I'd love to bring some back if I can, Scribe Bowditch will want to see it. But at least… if I can… try it… I can tell him- aha!" She succeeded in finding whatever she was looking for and the armour popped open, revealing the dead soldier inside. "Out you go," Sarah chirped, while gesturing for Talia to help her heave the dead guy into the dirt.

"You're not getting in that?" Talia grimaced, as Sarah levered the suit upright.

"How else am I gonna know how well it works?" She stepped inside it, more like a vehicle than clothing, and after a few seconds feeling around gasped again in triumph. The suit closed itself around her. "Ooh, this feels weird," she mused, looking down at herself as if trying on a new dress.

She moved around on the spot, squatting and rolling her arms around, testing its range of motion. "It's light." She sounded impressed. She took a jog over to a tree and back.

"Having fun?"

"This is serious research of enemy equipment," Sarah scolded. "But man have they got some good shit."

"What's it like? You make it look easy."

"It's not. Try it." Sarah exited the suit and gestured for Talia to try.

"I'm not gonna get stuck in it am I?"

"Unlikely. Though it is damaged. Don't worry, I'll prize it open with my knife if I have to."

Talia chuckled at the image. "I always wanted to be a coconut. Okay, here goes." She climbed into the suit and followed Sarah's instructions as best she could. She managed to get the suit to close around her, but on attempting to take her first steps she only toppled forward like a felled tree. The size of the chestplate prevented her face from hitting the dirt, and the armour did its job keeping her completely unharmed inside. Still, it did nothing to save her ego a bruise.

When Sarah had stopped laughing she hit the catch in the rear. Cool air rushed up Talia's shirt, but the way her arms were inserted into the arm pieces prevented her pushing herself up. "Little help," she wheezed.

Sarah practically lifted her out, surprisingly strong for her stature only if you didn't know she was a Sentinel in the Brotherhood of Steel. "Alright, enough messing around. We should still be on schedule if we don't have any other problems. You good?"

Talia nodded as she finished putting her jacket back on.

"Now let's act like we didn't just completely destroy these guys, and hopefully no one will bother a couple of boring travellers." She linked her arm through Talia's and they continued west, the setting sun obscured by an overcast sky.

Talia sang to Dogmeat as she usually did on the road or around dusk, when he got twitchy. Sarah joined in, amused by Dogmeat's joyous howls at having two fellow adventurers in his pack tonight.

* * *

Long after the sun had set, Burke was already leaving Rivet City. He'd headed straight for the science lab but, finding it locked, he'd left for the bars and the markets, not wishing to risk a security issue just yet.

Amongst the locals the Enclave was all the talk, but nobody seemed to know what had become of the scientists or the _Lone Wanderer_, a name that had come about for Talia, the kid from the Vault. The stories attached to the name were wild and varied, though nobody was certain which were true, embellished, or completely fabricated. However that seemed less important than the fact there was someone to talk about, even if they didn't know her name- or if the Lone Wanderer was a girl at all. There was dispute among some whether a girl could have achieved some of the things attributed to the name. Another camp found it hard to believe she could have perpetrated some of the other things.

Such small, simple lives, Burke thought. If these people had any vision or ambition for their own existence, they wouldn't find the stories about a girl out of a Vault unbelievable. They might even admire her. But given the sum of all their years had landed them in a glorified open prison, signing over their potential in exchange for having their most basic needs met, their minds were too trapped, too desperate to imagine such myths could be about a real person. Even themselves, if they only had the will.

He pondered what would become of them when the council's altruistic policies came to an end, as they inevitably would if the leech class continued to grow. The lower decks were full of these people, yet only a handful appeared willing to return the favour the city did them in giving them a free bed, by working. Even he could see the carrier needed more hands to maintain its structural integrity. He suspected they would accept any and all new rules, if the only alternative was to leave. But then he'd have thought the continued cases of red lung would have spurred most of them to action already. But the human mind had a remarkable ability to ignore such passive threats and lay the yoke of responsibility at the feet of those with higher status.

He chuckled at the similarities in many ways to Tenpenny's tenants. If rent was raised or they were told they had to lift a finger to maintain the place, they would not accept it. They simply _knew_ their place in the world was above doing that kind of thing. They would bat the duty _down, _unerringly. But they were equally trapped. They had become rich enough to buy their way into the tower and that was where they had placed their ceiling and settled their ideas. He doubted many would find the will to survive should their comfortable life be upturned. They might even leave, as a few had threatened to do during the peak of the ghoul situation. Their self image was so grand they thought they could simply walk across the wasteland into the same life elsewhere. At the least the lower deck dwellers knew they stood little chance alone.

It was fascinating to see how limiting the mind could be, regardless of situation. He'd never had that problem. He had built himself a way out of his shabby beginnings, and never stopped looking up. People got bogged down in a sense of status, their _place_, other people, morals. It all led to stagnation. Dashwood had wanted adventure, and the status and women that came with it. He got it all, and survived to retire somewhere luxurious. He achieved enough notoriety that his stories were turned into a radio drama. Tenpenny had crossed oceans to find new opportunities for wealth and power. Talia had killed people around whom she'd grown up, in order to survive, escape, seek a free life. It took a certain kind of mind to do that. It wasn't the kind of mind that was content to feed on gossip in the belly of a rusting ship.

After lurking around the science lab again, a cleaner entered, allowing Burke to follow. But the man also knew nothing of the scientists' whereabouts, and Burke found no clues to other labs or anything about the water purifier. In the end, as Burke watched the man go about his work through unfocussed eyes, it was his radio that answered the question. Burke was damned if he knew how Three Dog was so informed, but he had no reason to doubt his intel, nor anything else to go on. Three Dog said the scientists had escaped to the Citadel, to the Brotherhood of Steel. That was just across the river from the city, so Burke had set off immediately.

And here he had stood, outside the tall gates, under the steely gaze of its guard, for an hour now. _No civilians, supermutants or salesmen allowed._ Paladin Bael didn't smoke and wasn't much of a talker, so Burke had taken a seat on some rubble and waited.

There wasn't much activity. Not visibly anyway. A few grunts and a _sentrybot_ patrolling the perimeter, yet he knew inside must be all go, rising excitement and anxiety at the return of the Enclave. A new threat for them to tackle, definitively, unlike the supermutants. Or perhaps they weren't up to the task. He knew nothing of their inner workings since they were so secretive, despite taking on outsiders from time to time. They must take care over who they inducted.

At some point the gate opened a fraction and a woman slipped out. She looked miniscule next to Bael's armour. They discussed something briefly, each looking irate, and she seemed to placate him by holding up her hand as if to say she just needed five minutes. She walked around the corner and to the edge of the path that surrounded the building, stopping where it dropped to a level below, meeting the river. Burke approached as she struggled to light a cigarette.

"Need a light?"

She gasped quietly, though he hadn't attempted to sneak up on her. "Thank you. Damn thing is no good." She put her lighter into a pocket of the oversized soldier's coat she wore and held her cigarette to Burke's flame.

She was very neatly put together, delicate hands tipped with clean nails, hair greying but long and tidy, expression restrained as trying to hold back what was felt underneath. The flickering flame illuminated a face probably as old as his, frown lines decorating her brow and long creases framing lips that hadn't smiled enough over the years. He noticed her hand was shaking.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked before he could say anything. Her voice was quiet but firm.

"I'm looking for someone. She was actually with the scientists that were at the water purifier before the Enclave showed. They're saying on the radio they fled here, but my friend over there won't tell me anything. I don't suppose you were with them too?" He gestured to her attire, the coat the only thing military about her. Beneath she was clearly wearing a smart dress and lab coat, legs bare except for a pair of black heels. "Or are you Brotherhood of Steel?"

Her slight frown suggested she was not Brotherhood, but she wouldn't give anything else away. "Who wants to know?" She was studying him intently, suspicion heavy in tired eyes.

"The name's Burke." He extended his hand. He needn't use an alias now, since if she heard he would want Talia to know who had been asking after her.

The woman cautiously took his hand, not dropping her gaze. It was chilly but soft. "Doctor Li," she said as softly as before. There was a melancholy to her that was almost tangible, as if the moonlight gave it form.

"A pleasure," Burke nodded. "You're not Brotherhood, I can tell. You seem perfectly normal."

The joke caught her off guard and she exhaled in a way Burke took for mild amusement. "No," she confirmed. "I… yes, I was one of the people working on the purifier. Your friend… do they have a name?"

She was cautious. "Talia. She joined your outfit only recently."

Li locked him again with her analytical stare. He tried to appear truthful and unthreatening, which strangely was more difficult when that was genuinely the case. She took a drag before speaking again, dropping her hand away quickly as it shook. "I don't think I should discuss this with a perfect stranger. What do you want with this person, anyway?"

Burke was impressed and grateful at her apparent wariness around him regarding Talia, though it would make his life easier if her tongue was even slightly loose. "You know, I never said they were my friend," he pondered out loud.

Li paused a few moments before responding. "You seem concerned. Plus, you _did _say the guard over there _is _your friend, so I may as well trust what you don't say over what you do."

Burke smiled and imagined the woman might have smirked had she not had the weight of something like the world on her shoulders. "You're a smart woman, Doctor Li." He stepped closer and lit a cigarette of his own. Seeing the effect Li's was having on her was too tempting.

He looked across the river and matched her dampened tone. "You're right. She is a friend, and I am concerned. Now I know at least some of you escaped the Enclave, that is some relief. But I must know, is she alright? If she's in the Citadel, at least pass her a message for me. Would you do that?"

Li smoked in silence for a while. Burke watched her eyes darting between nothing in particular in the distance, while her mind whirred behind them. She carried a sense of solemnity, responsibility, and defeat that tinted her natural allure and made a man want to show her that all was not as bad as she thought. She stood at the centre of a war between the two most powerful factions in the whole of North America. If she could free herself of whatever weighed her, she would reach great heights.

"She's not here," she croaked. "She was. What I mean to say is that she escaped with us. She got us out, in fact. But you've missed her. She left during the night."

"Where?" Burke pressured.

But Li shook her head. "On a mission. I'm sorry, I shouldn't say anything more. Ugh, I've said too much already. You could be anybody."

Burke gently caught her arm as she turned to leave. "I'm not anybody, Ms. Li. Where did she go?"

Li paused while she fought with herself again. "I… I really can't say. I don't even know specifically myself. But I can't risk the Enclave finding her, or... After all that time we worked on it-" She stopped herself as emotion began to fuel her words, sighing heavily. "I'm sorry. I have to go. Goodnight." She hesitantly took her arm from Burke's and headed back to the gates, throwing her cigarette butt to the ground.

"Doctor Li," Burke called after her. "Do you have a first name?"

She turned as she waited for Paladin Bael to open the gate for her. "Yes. Do you?" She stepped inside, the gate closed behind her, and Burke was left alone with the knowledge Talia was at least alive, even if now she could be anywhere within a day of the Citadel.

Or he would have been, had Bael not resumed glaring at him in lieu of any real authority to order him away.

"Help me out, Bael. Which way did they go? Then I'll leave you alone."

"That way," Bael barked, pointing without looking upriver.

"Thank you. I can see us becoming good friends. I'll see you around."

"Oh good, I look forward to it," Bael grumbled as Burke passed.

It was one of only two ways out of the city, unless she swam downriver, so fairly meaningless. But he set off quickly all the same. She was less than twenty four hours away, and perhaps his man had caught her departure. He had his methods, after all. He was only annoyed he couldn't reach the tower sooner to check for letters. He hated being in the dark.


	24. Searching By Lamplight

Talia stared up at Sarah after their fight with several supermutants that just ended soon enough that the encampment from which they came, and into which the pair had practically stumbled, wasn't alerted. She was struggling for breath on account of the exertion and the hysterics that had overtaken her.

Sarah had caught them too, and so she offered a hand but wasn't much help, and the pair tumbled into a pile of laughter amongst the carnage in the dying light.

"What did I do to get paired up with you?" Talia wheezed.

"I forgot how tough these things are without a squad and a minigun," Sarah commented.

"No," Talia continued. "I mean, why am I so lucky? How did we do that?"

"I wouldn't call that lucky," Sarah skirted over the compliment. "Dumb luck. We practically knocked on their front door."

Talia creased up again at the image. "You'd do that wouldn't you? Invite them out for a fight."

"If my guys were up here on this ridge, hell yeah. Set up a killing zone in their front yard and ring the doorbell, why not?"

Talia wiped her eyes and pulled herself to a seat. "Why are they so far out here? They're so… organised."

"Wish I knew," Sarah responded. "We haven't found out yet. I should've seen that though. Don't wanna get taken just yet."

"Taken?"

"They might kill you. _Or _they might capture you. They do that sometimes, and take people away. We don't know where or why. Unless someone tells me, I'm not planning on ever finding out." She patted her breast pocket knowingly.

"What! Why am I just finding this out?"

"Well now you know. Take my advice- save a bullet for yourself."

"Okay. Great," Talia nodded, wondering if she'd ever find out whether she had the courage to thwart the mutants like that. "Man, I can't _wait _to find out what's in these caverns. We are just having a great day out."

"That's the spirit," Sarah chirped, grabbing her arm and pulling her up. "They're still a way off and it's almost dark. I suggest we get as far from this mess as we can in thirty minutes and make camp. I want to survey this place in the light first anyway, check the routes in, make sure no deathclaws have made it their home or something."

"And it gets better! _Deathclaws,_" Talia repeated caustically. "Now I have read about those. But maybe I missed the part where they carry you off or skin you alive or something?"

"Nope. They'll just kill ya. With their claws, would you believe it."

"Simple. Honest. I can deal with that."

"You sure? They're _big._"

"Of course they are."

Sarah took first watch and left Talia to sleep under all the blankets they had between them. They were only two so would swap out of the same bedroll, which would save time, save them a bedroll if they had to leave in a hurry, and share warmth. The woman was a field manual come to life, and Brotherhood of Steel inside out. Talia still wasn't quite sure what the deal with these guys was. They weren't a _cult_, but they were more than an army or militia. Their beliefs, goals, views on _wastelanders _or _outsiders _as Sarah had called even her more than once pointed to a very insular, quasi-religious order. But they were trying to improve the city for the betterment of those very people, and Talia herself had been chaperoned to safety by Star Paladin Cross when she was a baby.

Regardless, Sarah was almost certainly keeping her alive on her current journey, and for that Talia was grateful. She obviously had a natural inclination for the life, but she admired her all the same. It was as if she simply put her 'at home' self aside and lived only the mission. She had no wants, worries, desires while they travelled, only the need to eat, sleep, and maintain her weapon, situational awareness, and (thankfully) a sense of humour. Or perhaps she was always this way. But similarly Talia had initially thought Burke was all business before learning he did actually possess the ability to relax.

The clouds were clearing from the morning's rain and the temperature had dropped. She could not pack away her 'at home' self; the past few months were the only sense of normalcy she'd felt since surfacing (and that was saying something), and it was all she could cling to as the effects of James' actions continued to sweep her further away from safety, stability, the chance of another hot bath. She wriggled deeper under the blankets, peeking out at the moon that peeked back, wondering if perhaps Burke was also looking up from the balcony of Tenpenny Tower.

* * *

Burke only arrived back at the tower late the next day. His intention was to head straight home, but as he'd neared the edge of the ruins he thought better of it. It could be dicey enough at the best of times, never mind when the raiders and mutants had darkness on their side, to mention nothing of the nocturnal predators that might roam the scrublands around the tower. So he'd convinced Grandma Sparkle to lend him a room for the night. She didn't generally run an inn, but she seemed to like him, and not only because of his caps. She always said she appreciated his manners.

He greeted Gustavo in the lobby. "Any mail?"

"Here," the Chief handed over a few envelopes. "Not found our girl yet then."

Burke glanced up over the letters with a raised eyebrow, but realised Gustavo seemed only curious and a little disappointed. "No direct contact, no- but I have learned she's now working with the Brotherhood of Steel."

"What? As in, she's joined them?"

"I don't believe so. She joined her father and some scientists at the old water purifier, and the Brotherhood seems to be involved. Oh, speaking of which, have you heard?"

"The Enclave? Yeah. That annoying old radio station finally changed. Pumping out some new messages about their arrival to the wasteland. We've been on high alert since but seen nothing. You mean it's for real?"

"Oh yes, I spoke to them myself. They've taken over the purifier, trying to use it to win over the people, only it's not working and the scientific team escaped to the Brotherhood of Steel. Stay alert, they haven't moved on anything but the purifier out there, but who knows when that may change. I'll write something to tell the residents and keep everybody settled."

"Yes sir. Though I'm not sure what we can do against them if they want this place."

"Charm them," Burke smiled. "It would be nice to keep this place to ourselves but I've seen them, they're equipped beyond anything you've ever seen. Whatever it takes to stop them vaporising the building. Make a deal, offer them free board whenever they want it, give them Susan."

Gustavo smirked but they exchanged looks that agreed things had changed drastically and they weren't at all sure how the future looked anymore. "So what's Talia up to with the Brotherhood?"

"I don't know exactly. Would you believe I just missed her? They wouldn't let me in of course, but she seems to be running an errand for them. I assume it's to do with this purifier. I caught one of the scientists outside who told me a little… terribly cagey woman."

"...And that's it?"

Burke frowned at the question. That was it, and he didn't enjoy being reminded of his failure.

"Well, I'm sure she'll be fine. I've come across the Brotherhood a few times, they know what they're doing."

"I'm sure," Burke mirrored absentmindedly. They were capable and behaving charitably at the moment, but he didn't trust that they had no other agenda. If they had offered safety to the civilian team working on the purifier, he suspected they wanted it for themselves at the very least. With Talia gone on a _mission_, as Li put it, evidently they wanted more from that team as well.

He winced inwardly. Deals were fine if you knew the motivations of the other party; you could protect yourself if you knew they were selfish, you could exploit anyone that was too open. The problem with the Brotherhood was that Burke had next to no details on how they operated from the inside. The fact the D.C. group had suddenly started engaging with the wastelanders only relatively recently muddied the waters further. But Talia had come a long way since Megaton, where she had accepted his deal which leant rather heavily on her unfortunate situation, hadn't she?

He nodded farewell to Gustavo and took his letters swiftly to the cafe, hoping for a late lunch. He sat in his usual corner table so he could peruse them undisturbed.

Something from a supplier, which he scanned quickly- nothing requiring action.

An update from his sleuth that said as much as he already knew: the purifier was overtaken by Enclave troops, the situation was unclear but the word on the radio was that Talia was in the Citadel. He would send an update when he could confirm this.

Burke ran a hand over his jaw and waited while Miss Primrose set down a coffee. Gustavo's laughter echoed in his mind. Why _did _he have a spy running after her? It seemed perfectly judicious to him the day she left. She hadn't wanted anything to do with him, or so he thought, but he wasn't about to let her leave alone and never come back, with no way for him to know if she'd been killed or simply moved on. As he'd told his friend, it would be foolish not to use his network to learn more than she had obliged him.

But now? Things had changed. The ground was certainly different with the return of the Enclave and her involvement, but also he had learned what she meant to him. He was no longer just keeping himself in the loop while awaiting her timid return. He needed to find her, to assure himself she was safe and aware of the dangerous attention her actions were drawing. And of course to get to her before Littlehorn could hand off the contract to another when he got bored of waiting for Burke to act.

He felt better knowing his own man was near, but he needn't tail her from the shadows. He would write back to the address given instructing the detective to make contact if he still had a trail, otherwise to end the case.

Lunch arrived and he bit down half of his sandwich while turning over the last letter. He recognised the handwriting from somewhere. He tore it open and checked the signature to see it was from Talia. He basked briefly while finishing his bite, almost missing his heart skip a beat. He probably would have enjoyed more knowing she had written first if time wasn't pressing due to Littlehorn. He set aside his surprisingly small sense of triumph along with his sandwich to read.

_Dear Burke,_

_I hope you're well and not mad with me. I'm fine. I'm at the citadel with the brotherhood of steel- it's a long story. I'm writing because I'm about to go out on a trip. It shouldn't take too long but I'm sure you've heard what's happened with these enclave people. I wanted to let you know what I can. (I should have written sooner. So much has happened, I wish I could tell you. You can write back here I guess. I don't know if they're funny about mail from outsiders though, they're kind of weird people but they really saved us)_

_Obviously the radio has been reporting everything. The city was really hyped for the water purifier. It went about as badly as it could have. I'm not sure what I should say in case this is stolen._

_I don't know when I can come home. I want to but I still have some things to do here and everything's got really crazy. Is the tower OK? I don't know if the enclave will be coming that way. Are you OK? Please don't get in their way. They don't mess around. _

_Can I still come home? I don't like how I left things. Don't think I don't appreciate everything you've done for me. I wouldn't have made it through this week alone. I miss you and I really hope we can talk again soon._

_I have to go._

_Yours,_

_Tali  
xxx_

Burke quelled the satisfaction in his chest and immediately reread. "Where are you going, Tali?" he whispered at the page, searching for anything that gave away what exactly this trip was. But damn it, she was smart enough to keep it out of the letter. At least it confirmed what Li had almost said, that the Enclave were after her or whatever she was going out for.

But what she didn't say caught his attention too. What had happened? Why couldn't she tell him? Perhaps it was sensitive to the situation, perhaps she was in a hurry. She did say she was about to head out. Why had she only just written? There was no hint of the stubbornness that had driven him to let her walk away. She clearly had more to worry about now than her pride.

He cleared his tightening throat, reminding himself how capable she had proven herself already. He had to wave off Miss Primrose who thought he had got too much gristle in his sandwich again.

He sipped his coffee and let his eyes trail the page once more. He let his chest swell at her first thought. It was gratifying how much she needed him to be pleased with her, though the thought she may have spent the last nine days in upset since their argument caused him to scratch the back of his neck. Evidently she wasn't sure if he had let it go. He had let her walk expecting her to be back very soon with her tail between her legs, or probably still with an attitude, but clipped enough to request help and forgiveness all the same. He hadn't expected her to ask permission to return.

Hadn't he known he had such a perfect creature in his midst? He scratched harder wondering if she might have written or returned sooner had she not worried she was not welcome. Why he had let her walk away would bother him every second until she was back where she belonged.

And it would be so. This was her olive branch. She told him things he already knew deep down. She was not ungrateful. Though she'd needed a reminder, she showed it in how she performed, how relentlessly she tried to improve her competence, the way she doted. Even in her precarious circumstances she wished to warn him.

His eyes lingered on her sign off. They'd never been apart long enough to miss each other before. His limbs grew heavy as he echoed the sentiment with a ragged sigh. He held the very paper she folded not two nights ago and yet she may as well be on the other side of the world.

His thumb grazed the girlish string of kisses that admittedly he loved to see. Often overused and insincere, knowing what Gustavo told him these felt like a chaste, indirect attempt to tell him what had not been said. She must make it back from the mission. To receive his reply. To greet him. She must!

Miss Primrose laid a hand on Burke's shoulder. "Are you alright Mr. Burke?"

He looked up to see the old dear nodding at his hand, which was resting over his chest.

"Is it heartburn?" she inquired. "I can make up a remedy if you want."

* * *

Talia and Sarah approached the _Lamplight Caverns _sometime around noon. It turned out they had been some kind of tourist attraction before the war. The entrance was lit up with fairy lights, just beside it stood a ticket booth and gift shop, and a couple of rusted former school buses littered what used to be a parking lot.

"Oh… no. There was a field trip inside when the nukes landed?" Talia pondered out loud. All around the wasteland were grim tableaux depicting what people were doing the moment it all stopped. The roads were littered with cars, their drivers having failed to make it to a Vault or some hopeful distance from any built up area. Others had tried to take shelter anywhere they could; Vault entrances, upturned bathtubs, she'd even found a skeleton bundled inside a fridge. She wasn't sure the warning sirens were all that great if that's what they drove people to.

"Relax," Sarah replied. "They will have been fine in the caves. Probably went exploring after it calmed down and made new lives like everyone else."

"Or starved to death. Or started eating each other… like that movie."

"You have an active imagination, you know that? If the Vault is connected, they probably just moved in there. In any case, I'm sure it's nothing but rats and fungus in there now."

Talia wasn't so sure given her experience of Vaults so far. But maybe this one was different. They passed through a stiff wooden door into the entrance tunnel. As they walked deeper inside, the air grew warmer and damp. Having lived underground most of her life, it was nothing like the air conditioned Vault, but a welcome change from the biting cold they'd been walking through for a day and a half.

"_No mungos allowed. _Is this some wastelander slang Tali?" Sarah pointed to some graffiti on the welcome sign.

Talia shrugged. "Not that I ever heard."

They rounded the sign and came up against a ten foot scrap wall blocking their progress further into the caverns. They jumped as a high pitched voice screamed at them from somewhere.

"Hold it right there! Don't take another step or we'll blow your fuckin' heads off!"

The pair did as they were told and scanned all around for the source of the threat. Up to the left, peeking just above the parapet, was a face almost buried in a pre-war helmet that was far too big for the head inside. A rifle was pointed at them, held by small hands engulfed in an oversized jacket to match the helmet.

The face was that of a young boy, apparently very serious and trying to appear very threatening.

Talia wasn't sure whether to laugh. Sarah didn't worry about that. "Whoa, hold on there little guy. We're friends."

The boy replied with scorn. "Don't talk down to me. You're big, and I don't have any big friends, so you better turn around and go back the way you came in."

"What is this place?" Talia asked.

"It's Little Lamplight. We live here, and we don't need no mungos around messing it up. So take a hike."

"What _is _a mungo?" Sarah cut in.

"Ugh. _You _are! You big people. We don't need nothin' to do with any of you."

"Oh I see. You mean grown ups?"

"_No_, I mean _mungos_," the boy sneered.

"You might want to write that in words grown ups will understand," Talia commented, pointing back to the sign.

"Not my fault you're all so dumb. Now what did I tell you- scram!"

Talia eyed Sarah. It was odd, but the kids did have guns and there was no reason in the wasteland to assume they wouldn't use them.

"And who are you?" Sarah continued, cocking her hips and ignorign his order.

"I'm MacCready. I'm the Mayor-"

Talia couldn't hold back a snort, which earned her a scornful look from the little Mayor.

"Shut up. I'm the Mayor because they made me the Mayor. I run this place, and you mungos are trouble I don't need."

Talia wondered what a town of children could possibly be like, but this kid seemed to take his position as Mayor seriously. And it sounded like he'd been voted in, which was an improvement on the Vault where Amata's dad had been in charge since she was born.

"We're no trouble, we're just looking for a way through. Can we come in?"

"I already told you no."

"You know what MacCready," Sarah carried on with a smirk, "your face looks like my butt."

Talia quirked her eyebrows but the kid seemed unable to resist a juvenile slanging match. "Oh yeah? Well you must like having such a good looking butt," he replied.

Talia wasn't sure that was much of an insult, but Sarah turned it around instantly, apparently an expert at deflecting young boys' strange comments. "Well at least it doesn't smell as bad as you do."

MacCready sniggered. "You're pretty funny for a mungo. And that dog is really cool. I guess you can come in. As long as I can pet it."

"Thank you, Mayor." Sarah grinned and Talia curtsied, and another kid swung the gate open. "I had _a lot _of practise while looking after Squire Maxson," Sarah clarified on their way in.

Dogmeat followed and obliged the Mayor's request, revelling in the attention several pairs of small hands gave him.

* * *

"It's not a bad place to spend the apocalypse, as caves go." Talia commented on the enormous size of _Great Chamber_ in which she and Sarah were resting. Rope bridges and wooden platforms hung halfway up the main chamber, making a village-in-the-air above the mirror-like waters below. The whole place was illuminated by fairy lights like those outside. Luckily for the inhabitants, the caverns shared a reactor with Vault 87 so they had power for all the amenities that had been set up for visitors spending the day. (The Vault could indeed be accessed from inside, but one door was password protected and the other door was down a channel known as _Murder Pass_, so they had not been in a rush to go knocking and instead settled in for the night until they formed a plan). Sitting up amongst the stalactites that reached down from the roof, it felt slightly magical.

"Yeah," Sarah agreed, "and these kids have saved everything they don't use in case they can trade it. Here." She plonked down a case of beer and shrugged. "They said they use spirits for medicine and this is only good for drinking, but they think it's gross."

Talia grinned and opened one, draining most of it before taking a breath. "Not long ago I might have agreed.

"I tried to unlock that door, but I never really got computer stuff. My friend tried to teach me some basics of hacking but I guess it was set up properly by Vault-Tec or something. I've only ever guessed passwords of people I know."

"Damn," Sarah sat down in the corner they'd claimed for the night and opened a beer. "I got us fresh ammo. Murder Pass has been blocked off as long as any of these kids can remember. They say there are monsters in there, which sound like supermutants from their descriptions.

"Oh- and I traded my rifle with some kid for _this_." She showed her new laser rifle which looked just like the old one. "It's had some modifications. I did a calibration and it packs twenty six percent more joules per shot."

"Not a very fair trade?"

"The kid said he didn't need it anymore as he got taken off the scav team, but if there are mutants next door it didn't feel right just buying it, they might need the defences. He can sell my old one if he wants. I just wish I knew where he got this."

Talia smirked as Sarah stroked her new toy with such excitement in her eyes she had come to expect only from Brotherhood tech junkies. "You ever give _people_ that much attention?"

"I'm sorry?"

Talia just raised her eyebrows and swigged her beer.

"Huh. We're this close to the Vault and you want to talk about men?"

Talia rolled her eyes. "I just want some _gossip_ Sarah. We've been walking for days with mutants and an army after us. We got drinks, thank you by the way, but we're surrounded by this depressing cave of orphans. Did you know they have to leave when they turn sixteen? I saw a boy being kicked out earlier. It was his birthday today. Just tell me something _normal_ or _fun_, please."

"The first part is normal for me," she shrugged, but settled into the bedroll after another enormous eye roll from Talia. "Oh fine. Men huh? I don't know. They're just not very… interesting."

"There must be someone…"

"Hm. Okay, for your entertainment… Don't say anything but, I had a _very_ brief, kind of, _interest_ in Knight Captain Gallows once. Did you meet him?"

Talia shook her head.

"He's one of the Pride. I wouldn't call it a crush. I think it was because he's so mysterious. Does spec ops. Barely talks."

"Ooh, and in the Pride as well. Can you date your own men?"

"I probably wouldn't recommend it. Anyway that was nothing, years ago. And... I liked a Scribe for a while. I liked that he was smart. But, eh, I don't know. Just not exciting."

Talia looked at her like she was mad. She'd met the Head Scribe who had a giant laser robot in his lab, and that was too dull for her? "Maybe his world would be exciting, because it's different?"

"Okay, that's enough, you sound like my father."

Talia's face softened. "He's trying to get you set up?"

"Always. I tell him, I'm a Sentinel, I'm not in a place to be one of the procreators. I'm better on the field."

"Hmm. It's nice he tries though…"

"Is it? Sometimes I wish he'd just leave me to my work and stop still trying to coddle me."

Tali scrunched her nose. "I don't believe you were ever _coddled_, Sarah."

Sarah snorted and downed her beer. Talia had already opened another and was sipping quietly. Her eyes had misted over, already miles from their conversation. "Oh shit, sorry girl. Here I am whining about my father… how are you doing?"

Talia shrugged.

Sarah clinked their bottles together and drank in silence.

"I can't complain," Talia croaked after another beer was sunk. "These fuckin' kids don't have anyone. He was an ass, but at least I knew him until now. At least I didn't grow up in a literal goddamn _cave_."

Sarah clapped a hand over her mouth as she snorted. "Sorry… you got that right."

Talia shook her head to say it was okay. "Imagine going on a field trip and being stuck there with your teachers for eternity, geez."

"...Weren't you sealed in a Vault?"

"Imagine _going on a field trip_," she corrected dryly, causing Sarah to chuckle again. Her eyebrows refurrowed as her thoughts returned to her situation. "Is this what Amata felt like? Is this what I did to her?"

"Who's Amata?"

"My friend, she- she was my friend. But that's not true is it? Friends don't do what I did, do they?"

"What did you do?"

"…I killed her dad."

Sarah blinked.

"I had to get out of the Vault, they were killing people. And he was beating her and he killed Jonas and he set security on me, but I went in there and I, I don't know, I came out and he was dead. Was he even in my way?"

Sarah entered the conversation tentatively. "There's… a lot going on there. But we all have to make a call sometimes. Doesn't sound like you could just be on your merry way."

Talia continued as if she hadn't heard. "But I didn't even think about Amata. He deserved it... but she didn't. And I'm surprised I lost my dad too? I deserve it."

"But did he? It doesn't work like that."

"Sure it does. Anyway, he did it to himself. I was never good enough for him, and now I get to taste what I served my- 'best friend'-" She choked up on her last words and tried to drown the sob in beer.

It didn't work. Sarah put an arm around her as tears streamed her cheeks. She buried her face in her hands and wept into Sarah's shoulder. "I'm a terrible person."

"Hey, I didn't have you as the weepy kind," Sarah only half joked.

"I'm sorry," Talia blurted through sobs. "This place is just so depressing." She felt Sarah shake with a chuckle, and her other arm stroked her hair.

"Well we'll get out of here in the morning huh? Password or Murder Pass, we can handle it."

Talia groaned.

"Come on, it's just supermutants. We smashed 'em out there yesterday didn't we?"

"Mmhmm," came Talia's muffled reply.

"I know I've been fighting them since I passed basic, but I don't just come waltzing into infested caves on my own for fun you know. But I'm totally happy to shoot my way through that pass tomorrow with you next to me."

Talia peered out from her hands. "Really?"

"Uh huh."

She wiped her tears and smiled. "Aw, thanks… You would do it for fun though."

Sarah chuckled wistfully. "Maybe if I had a gatling laser and some of that Enclave armour…"

"I know what to get _you _for your birthday."

"No need if we ruin those bastards back at the purifier. Sooner we get out of here, sooner that happens."

Talia closed her eyes and tried not to think too much about that. Janice and James lying there on the control room floor. Sarah, a total warrior, but someone else she didn't want to see get hurt.

But everybody got hurt. These kids barely had six years before they experienced loss and found their way into MacCready's sanctuary. Maybe she wasn't a terrible person, but it was just a terrible world. Or maybe it was both. She had to remember the company she kept. She thought of Burke, her saviour and her temptation. He taught her to survive and prosper, often at the expense of others. Only she'd started that all on her own; her escape was what enraptured him when they met. He said she had the_ will_ _to live._

She wouldn't deny that. She wasn't going to give in or be snuffed out like one of her marks if she could help it. Maybe living sometimes meant making the world a more terrible place. As Burke had commented once, _it can be both, can't it?_

* * *

Tenpenny returned to his chair on the balcony and picked up the phone, mildly annoyed it was the girl who set it up. He stared at the empty space where Megaton's lights used to twinkle faintly on a clear night. _Maybe I did ask for it to disappear._ It was so damned difficult to think around this place.

He dialled Burke's extension and drummed his fingers on the table. "Mr. Burke, good evening! I heard you were back today. Come out to the balcony would you. Right." He hung up and toyed with one of the pieces from the chess board. Whose turn was it now? He couldn't remember their last session.

The door clicked and footsteps approached. "Sir. I trust you're well?"

"Well enough. You're keeping busy." Burke didn't sit down, but hovered to the side as usual. He'd always taken it as a sign of respect, or simply time efficient given the man was never in one place for so long. But today it bothered Tenpenny. He wanted to swat his supervisory gaze off him like a fly.

He answered smoothly, of course. "Yes, I arrived back late this afternoon. In fact I've been investigating this Enclave situation myself. Oh, and while I'm here, I'm assured it's nothing to worry about, but expect a brief shortage of brahmin steak due to an outbreak out there-"

"Yes yes yes," Tenpenny interrupted. "I don't care, I only eat iguanas… are they going to be affected?"

"I shouldn't think so."

"Fine. Now this ah… Enclave situation…?"

"I was going to talk to you in the morning about it after I-"

"Exactly! Tomorrow, tomorrow. Everything is later with you now, isn't it? No, let's discuss it now. You've been investigating after all."

Burke cleared his throat. "Very well. I can assume Chief Gustavo has briefed you initially?"

"Yes. But what have you learned? He didn't know very much at all."

"There's nothing to be immediately concerned about. In fact I was just writing something that can be emailed to the residents as a matter of urgency, to reassure them…" He smiled. "Keep the rent coming in."

"Ah, excellent. Well start with that. Show me." Tenpenny raised himself from his chair.

"Oh don't trouble yourself, I can take care of it."

"I can read! Not that I do very often. Haven't found much worth reading by you Yanks to be honest." He ushered Burke back indoors. "Come on, it's bloody cold out here anyway." He followed Burke into his suite, closing the door behind him.

"Wouldn't you prefer to go over things in your place?"

"No, no, your place is fine. Not running around the whole damn, building, just for you to tell me things." He lowered himself onto Burke's couch and motioned for him to get on with it.

Burke walked to the desk and retrieved a piece of paper.

Tenpenny sat forward. "Oh! Damn, we better have something to drink. I left mine outside."

"I'll send for someone to bring some up."

"No, no, I don't want any of that piss. It was my best bottle. Been saving it. Just go out and get it would you, I just got sat down. It will be a lot quicker. Not leaving it out there, that Cheng might have it, shifty sort you know."

Burke put the paper back down and stifled a sigh. "If it will help with this… briefing, of course." He left for the balcony.

When he was safely out of the room Tenpenny sprang from his seat, which was an adequate way to describe his laboured, creaking movement given the actual springs in the salvaged couch had seen much better days. He scurried over to the desk and rifled through the papers on top. _Enclave brief, numbers, lists, dull, dull, dull. _He opened the drawer. _Letters._ More letters addressed to Burke by the looks of it. But another, by him, to the girl. Tenpenny peered toward the doorway, hearing nothing. He'd left his booze halfway around the tower where he had been shooting, so he would have a minute or two.

He plucked the letter from the drawer and leant closer to the lamp, squinting at the neat script.

_My dear Talia, _

_It is good to hear from you. I'm glad you are alright. I do know about the Enclave, but they only seem to be interested in the area around the city for the moment. I and everyone at the tower are fine, though it hasn't been the same without you. _

_You are most welcome back but I think you are safest where you are for now. When you return to the Citadel and receive this, send me word and wait for me there. There are things in motion which I must tell you about. Do not worry, but do not go anywhere after you get this._

_I look forward to being with you again. Though you may not think so, this past week I have missed you terribly. The things I have realised in your absence… Write when you get this._

_Yours truly,_

_Burke  
_

That bloody girl! The man was bewitched! He bundled everything back into the desk and hurried back to the couch. At least he could sit comfortably now knowing he was right. Not that the knowledge was much more comfortable than this manky old sofa, but he had been starting to feel paranoid. This was evidence! _Things in motion_… he could imagine what. At least the Enclave seemed to have put a crimp on their plans. _You are safest where you are for now._ Did he know? He wasn't sure. But it was so hard to _think _in this place. He needed a drink. He'd held back so he could pull this off, but how could anyone endure it at all like this?

He got up to retrieve another bottle from his own room. He hadn't seen Burke touch a drop for a while. Unless he shared in the bottle he had gone to fetch, Tenpenny would drink something else. He couldn't be too careful.


	25. For Fawkes' Sake

The thrill of another fight with the supermutants of Murder Pass coursed through Talia's veins. Being within the snaking tunnels of the caverns, even Sarah had seemed a little more cautious to her. Her comfort in enclosed spaces had given Talia far more confidence than their skirmish outside. Whether it was excessive or more driven by pain was moot since they had triumphed.

"You were right Sarah… cake walk."

"Huh! Easy there tiger, don't get too big for your boots now."

The heavy quiet of the caverns settled over them again, the air thick with the sour tang of a conventional firefight. "You gotta admit though, you love your lasers but they just don't let you know what you've got. No kick, and that _smell_. Don't you think?"

"Oh I know what I've got, cavegirl."

They checked the bodies, relieving them of any ammunition they could use. As the adrenaline faded and the red mist lifted, the roar in Talia's ears quieted enough to let the small voice in the back be heard. It was small like the kids who populated the caverns, who'd told them about their friends that went scavenging and never came back.

"Man, I wish we could help these kids though… you know, the ones they said were caught by slavers." She pondered aloud at one of the corpses.

"Me too, but there's only two of us and we're at war with the Enclave. Besides, if that's even what happened, they've probably been moved on already. Nothing we can do."

"...Do you really think that?"

"I can't know without going to the slavers and askin' 'em, and I don't think it's that simple."

Talia stood and stared for a second. "But we should try right?"

"It's not our fight. We're here to get this geck and take it back to the Citadel, then batter the Enclave."

"And what, it's _their_ fight? They're little kids!"

Sarah turned. "We have orders, Talia. We can't do it, and they're probably dead or sold. _We _can only go into this Vault now, then get back home."

"Fuck that. _You _have orders, I'm not one of you."

"Talia-"

"And it's not my home. I can't go home. I'm stuck out here with all this fucking shit I can't do anything about- _ow!_" She hurled a foot at the supermutant corpse by her only to stub her toe inside her boot, so huge and thick skinned as they were. "_Fuck's _sake!" she hissed while doubling over.

Sarah watched her struggle to squeeze her foot for a few moments before speaking. "Are you finished?" Talia didn't answer and she stepped closer. "Bitching and moaning like a true wastelander. We didn't have to let you in you know. Before we took recruits _no one_ set foot in the Citadel. But father allowed it, and as long as you're helping with the purifier you have a home there.

"Now you can run off after some unlucky kids if you want, see if you make it, and let me know how you manage to bust them out. But _I_ have orders, and it's to go through that door over there.

"Are you coming?"

Talia cursed and grumbled incoherently from the ground.

"_Hey_, do I have to slap you? Get a grip of yourself. Are you coming?"

Talia glared up and huffed. "_Yes_. Fucksake…" She got to her feet and checked over her gear.

"We've helped these kids by clearing out this pass. I used to think there were monsters under my bed. Imagine living next to _this_ at that age."

Talia sighed heavily. "Yeah, I guess."

"Can't wait to see their faces when we come back to tell them it's all clear. They think we're dog food."

Talia tried to summon a smile but her lip only twitched. "Shh, Dogmeat will get excited. You're good with kids you know."

"They're just like cheeky initiates, only smaller."

"I… I never knew any kids. Isn't that weird? I was one of the youngest in the Vault. I think we were dying out. We were all taught about fertility and how we should be having babies for the good of the Vault... Didn't seem to work."

"Huh, lack of romance down there?"

"_No_. Just nobody seemed to be getting pregnant. I mean we were overworked, so maybe there's that. Or maybe 'cause we were living in a damn hole."

"Huh. I'd have thought with clean food, clean water, you'd fare better... The radiation gets people out here I think."

"You're telling me. I'm a mess. We had to track our cycles you know… the Pip-Boy can measure everything. That page crashed after about a week up here."

"Yeah, it happens. It'll settle."

Talia pinched the bridge of her nose. "I wish everything else would. Why the hell am I down here?"

"It will, I keep telling you. Now, there are probably more mutants inside the Vault. You ready? Can I request that wild Talia that killed most of these mutants out here? You're getting brassy, and not without merit."

Talia shrugged one shoulder and looked away. It wasn't conscious. Inside her she held a pool of anger laced with guilt, and she felt so very heavy. But despite Sarah's request she couldn't tap it at will. She hoped at least it might vent at a helpful time again. During the battle in the cavern she hadn't worried for her own skin one single second. It was strangely relieving. And, looking at the results, effective.

"I'm sure they'll piss me off once we get inside," she offered.

They headed to the door and covered each other as they entered. They stopped at a scene straight from a horror movie.

Bloody remnants of multiple bodies littered the service room. There was not much left apart from the bones, some tissue still clinging to them. Which, given Talia had seen plenty of skeletons of people who perished in the atomic blasts, meant these remains had only _become _remains fairly recently.

"What the fuck..?"

"If I had to guess," Sarah pondered, "with all those supermutants outside… the way these bones are scattered around like… like…"

"Like someone's just finished a plate of chicken wings?"

"Oh you don't know how close to the truth you may be. I'd say the mutants must be using this place as a base. And a base needs a food source."

Talia wrinkled her face in disgust and checked the pistol round she'd stashed in her pocket, as Sarah advised, was still there. The theory was supported by the gore bags they found hanging in the atrium (which looked exactly as they sounded), and the many more supermutants they encountered around the halls.

"Looks like the residents put up a fight at some point," Talia commented as they passed the third barricade made from tables, beds, and lockers. "Wonder what made the mutants invade?"

"Maybe the warhead that hit the main entrance damaged the door and they just walked in?"

They took the stairs up one level, leaving the living quarters behind for what looked like a medical wing. A large one. A chill ran down Talia's spine.

"What's up? It's just a hospital."

"A _Vault_ hospital. In my Vault that consisted of one doctor's office and a theatre for surgery. This place is huge and… I dunno, it just feels wrong."

Sarah shrugged and led the way down the hall to the left. "Check if any of these doors open. We better clear each room as we go." She let Talia punch the door control to the first room on the left and moved in swiftly, then stifled a scream and backed back out.

"What! What is it?" Talia hurried to her aid, freezing as soon as she crossed the threshold herself. Inside the room, strapped to an examination table was… maybe it used to be a person. They were horrifically deformed. The neck and shoulders had swelled and almost absorbed the head, face skull-like and frozen while contorted in pain. The limbs were mangled and clothes torn where the body had warped and burst through the fabric, while some of the internal organs were threatening to do the same to the skin.

Talia pushed her way past Sarah and threw up in the hallway.

"That's not a normal mutant," Sarah said lamely.

After she'd finished heaving Talia responded. "That's a fucking person. Definitely. Or, used to be. What the fuck."

"Not a normal hospital then. You were right. Let's… let's look for a working computer. Might tell us what the hell happened here. I think I saw an office back there."

Talia nodded and followed Sarah back up the hallway. The office Sarah noticed was that of the Chief Physician, presumably now deceased (if they were lucky). Sarah found the terminal to be powered and sat down to check it out. Talia listened out for movement at the door and tried to erase the image from her memory. It was somehow worse than the centaurs. Still wearing regular clothes and being strapped to a medical table and all. At least she could imagine the centaurs had just had a very unfortunate accident involving radiation, an explosion, and a box full of mannequin parts.

"Shit. Where's Dogmeat?" Talia realised he hadn't followed them back up the hallway. "I better go look for him. He's probably just cleaning up what I left out there, you know how gross he is. But who knows what weird shit is on this floor."

"Wait until I've found something here and I'll come with you. He'll come back if he gets spooked."

Talia was tapping her foot manically. "No way, I'm not letting him run around this horror show. I'm sure he's just around the corner. I'll be back. If anything is still alive here it's fine, I'll see it first. Corridors, huh?"

She left without hearing Sarah's response. She couldn't lose Dogmeat to this place. They'd only gone up one floor but she felt as if she'd been swallowed by the Brotherhood and James and the Enclave and the hole was just getting deeper and she might never come up for air. Dogmeat was the only friend she had who asked for nothing from her- aside from a portion of her dinner. She reached the room at which they turned back but there was no sign of him. She continued along the hallway, cluttered and dusty, illuminated by the jittery flickering of a single functioning light. She tried not to imagine the screams of the misshapen body in the cell behind.

Vault 87 was wiped out. Vault 112 was run by a madman. Vault 101 was pretty close. She started to think her former home had been doomed anyway. At least until Amata opened it up. The evidence wasn't stacking up in favour of the setup working, or even being designed to work as a shelter more than a scientists' playground. She'd always said they were lab rats when she was in a bad mood, but it looked like she may have been right.

She passed more cells containing dead deformities. One contained three dead men, seemingly unmutated, though she didn't stop to wonder how they got there. But she found nothing living. She wasn't sure if the silence was preferable to the angry, armed, everyday supermutants she and Sarah had fought downstairs. She barely noticed how much time had passed nor how far around the floor she'd travelled when someone said 'hello'.

_Hello,_ not _halt _or _who goes there_ or _die, human! _So rather than duck for cover, she turned to greet the voice.

_Then _she ducked for cover.

Behind a window in the room to her left was a supermutant, looking right at her. She began to scramble away on her hands and knees when the voice continued. It was coming through a speaker.

"You! I know you are still there. Please, come speak to me."

She froze and digested the words. The voice was coarse and booming like that of a supermutant. But the words were… polite. "I'm in the room to your left," the voice added, just to confirm her fears.

"Um… Sarah?!" But she was too far away. Damn, how had she idly wandered so far?

"Use the intercom… next to the window," the mutant urged.

She couldn't hear anything else and it wasn't moving within the room- the floor shook when those things stomped around. Taking a breath she carefully peeked over the windowsill into the cell. It was indeed a supermutant, as big and green as all those she'd fought. She couldn't say it was _wearing_ a Vault jumpsuit. The suit clung precariously to its large form, torn where muscles bulged as if the creature had grown inside it. In the room was a toilet, wash basin, and a bed wholly inadequate for a seven foot, seven hundred pound supermutant.

The mutant waved.

Talia ducked back below the sill.

"The intercom…" it repeated. It sounded stressed.

"Well… since you asked nicely," she laughed nervously to herself. Slowly she got to her feet and held down the button to speak. The mutant nodded along like she didn't know how it worked.

"Um… hello?" She watched through the window.

A human might have smiled at that point. The mutant's face did something. "Either you are quite real, or I am quite mad."

"...My thoughts exactly."

"Could you actually be... A pure human?"

"...I'm human, yes. But... What are you?"

The mutant blinked in apparent surprise. "Me? You care who I am?"

"_Who_, yes, and what. Both." It was very polite but still very large so Talia felt it best to avoid giving offence.

"Forgive me," it said unnecessarily, "I am not used to such pleasantries. I'm more accustomed to grunts and being struck about by the others. The name is Fawkes. I've lived in this cage all my life."

"Fawkes… I didn't realise you, uh, had names."

"Please do not assume I am like the others in this place. I chose the name from a historical entry on the computer. My captors were too stupid to realise it still worked when they placed me here. I have taught myself many things from this room."

"The others? They put you here?"

"Yes. To them I'm a curiosity, an anomaly. They don't know why I'm different than they are and I think it fascinates them. All of the locked rooms in the medical wing contain failed experiments that they created."

_Experiments_. Talia's eyes widened. "Holy shit… is this why they take people_?_" A shudder rattled through her bones. "_They_ did this?"

"I can answer your questions, but first, a proposal. I suspect you have come here in search of the G.E.C.K. Am I right?" He continued when she stared blankly. "People have tried and failed to retrieve it many times before you. Why else would you be in this… horrible place?"

She couldn't fault his logic. "What do you know about the G.E.C.K.?"

Fawkes made a sound that might have been a chuckle if supermutants could speak at any volume other than _booming_. "I know what it is, I know where it is, and best of all, I know how you can get your hands on it."

"And your proposal…"

"Let me out of this makeshift prison, and I will retrieve it for you."

Talia looked around. "You can understand why I might be nervous…"

"I suppose. You are free to seek it out yourself, as many have tried to do. But allow me to offer some information in good faith. The chamber in which the G.E.C.K. resides is flooded with radiation. It's unlikely you'd survive very long. Myself, on the other hand, have surprisingly inherited a useful trait from my fellow Meta-Humans. I am highly resistant to radiation. So you see how I can help."

"You _could _help…" Talia pondered, biting her lip. "Or that could be made up. How do I know any of that is true?"

Fawkes rolled his entire head in lieu of the ability to make more nuanced facial expressions. "Your kind is very fond of deceit. You project onto me how you might behave if our situations were reversed. What benefit do I have in telling you a lie? I have been imprisoned here for longer than I can remember. I can't stand it anymore! And you can help me. I have already helped you by warning you of the radiation. I hope this assures you that my word is good and I will uphold my end of the bargain."

Talia frowned and chewed on her lip. She pulled at her shirt collar. Her chest was squeezing the air from her lungs and her racing pulse was pounding in her throat. Looking back down the corridor, there was still no sign of Dogmeat or Sarah.

Fawkes watched expectantly. "So, what do you say?"

* * *

_Entry 87-34190_

_The latest subjects in the Evolutionary Experimentation Program_ _(EEP) are showing some promise after only a single exposure to the modified FEV. We are currently testing five subjects, two males and three females. Each one of them is under 24 hour observation as usual. We hope to have a breakthrough in this strain as the continual pressure from Vault-Tec and the military at Mariposa is becoming most bothersome._

_Entry 87-34233_

_We've had a minor setback. Subject B440, Mary Kilpatrik, is now deceased. According to my autopsy, she died of a massive loss of brain function and was unable to sustain her basic bodily needs. This is the usual pattern we see in all the FEV Strains we test... the brains of the subjects becoming too damaged to support even the most basic human needs (eating, sleeping, etc.). So far, all other subjects are nominal and continue to exhibit physical changes._

Sarah was completely engrossed in what she was reading on this terminal. It seemed the Vault was the site of some human experimentation, under direction of the Vault-Tec company itself. Mostly failures, as experimentation tended to be. Presumably that body they'd found was one such failure. Though it looked as if it had occurred much more recently than these logs had been written. She knew she'd found something very important about the supermutants. She'd be a hero if she brought actionable intel back to the Citadel. What she'd give to get a couple of Scribes out here to speed it along.

Her study was interrupted by the fire alarm. She rushed to the doorway, prepared to take on more mutants, but there was no commotion in the hallway. She called out to Talia but got no reply. She realised she'd lost track of how long she had been gone. Hopefully it was just faulty wiring or Dogmeat having triggered something by accident, but she better check it out, and fast.

She made her way along the hall, doing the best she could to sweep each room as she went. This shit was no fun alone and without power armour. She felt naked. Her mouth grew drier the further she moved without finding Talia, while a voice in the back of her head loudly taunted her for bringing a civilian into the field. She knew they were more trouble than they were worth.

She called out as she moved, to protect herself if they surprised each other round a corner. She found nothing but more empty cells. A dead centaur and a dead man blocked the hallway to the north, and the state of the blood told her this was a recent fight.

She doubled back and took the western corridor, calling as she went. She rounded several more corners until she got an answer. Talia skittered out in front of her, dipping her rifle as soon as she recognised Sarah.

"Sarah! There you are. You're about to see something and I need you to promise me _not _to shoot, okay?"

"What? What is this alarm for? We got tangos?"

"No, we're fine, I can explain but please promise me you won't shoot."

"Talia, if you think-"

"_Promise me!_"

"_Okay_, okay, I promise." She slung her weapon to the side and held up her hands. "Now can you please explain what's going on?"

Talia grinned sheepishly. "We're about to receive the G.E.C.K. from… someone, who I found in a room down there. I had to trip the fire alarm to get the doors open. And that released a centaur that was stuck in one, and that attacked a man from another- he looked normal but I had to shoot him 'cause he was just ranting and trying to kill me-"

"Talia! What was that about the geck?"

"Oh… oh yeah. We can't get it cause the room it's in is irradiated."

"So how can they get it and we can't? Who are they?"

Talia bit her lip. "Just, trust me, we need their help. Hey, I guess you figured it out but this place is the source of the supermutants, right? They were created here in the labs. And the mutants bring people here to make more."

Sarah shook her head. "I- I didn't get to that part yet. Who told you this?"

"Fawkes," Talia said. She held up her hands to remind Sarah of her promise. "Fawkes told me, and he's getting the G.E.C.K. right now…"

In the corner a door opened, and through it squeezed the unmistakable hulking mass of a supermutant. Instinctively Sarah darted back to create some distance and reached for her weapon.

"Sarah no! You promised! It's fine, really, he's friendly!"

It lumbered into the large hallway and joined Talia, towering two feet above her. Admittedly it moved rather casually and its body language _was _unaggressive- relatively speaking. Sarah slowly raised her hands again while keeping a keen eye on the mutant.

Talia looked back at it. "I'm sorry. Or should I say _she_?"

The beast actually replied to her question. "The term is, I think, irrelevant to Meta-Humans, and in any case I cannot remember what was appropriate before my metamorphosis. I remember walking around this place with other humans, but I cannot recall anything of my former self, so refer to me any way you wish. However, I appreciate your asking."

Sarah blinked hard and wondered if this place had a gas leak.

"So," Talia continued, "is that it?" She pointed to a large silver briefcase in the mutant's hand.

"Yes. Here is the G.E.C.K. Our bargain is now complete." The mutant placed the case at Talia's feet.

Talia lifted the case briefly to test its weight. "Thank you. Fawkes, this is Sarah. Sarah, Fawkes has been trapped here by the other superm… what he calls Meta-Humans. On account of being so much smarter than them."

"And... you let… _him_ out?"

"It was a fair deal," Talia insisted. "Now we've helped each other and he's just going to be on his way, and we can carry on. Everybody's happy."

"You're going to let that thing out into the world?!"

"Sarah, I promised-"

"You're crazy if you think I'm allowing this-"

"Sarah!" Talia ran forward and grabbed her arms. "I promised. He helped us. It's the right thing to do. Just let him go."

The creature was already leaving. It paused to say a few more words. "I'll find my own way out of this place, don't worry. Maybe we'll meet again somewhere in the wasteland."

Sarah tried not to wonder if that was supposed to be a joke at her expense. She watched it pat Dogmeat, pressing the dog almost flat to the ground under the weight of its huge hand. "I'll give it a few minutes, then I'm going outside. I think this Vault is leaking some funny fumes."

"Thank you," Talia breathed. "Take Dogmeat would you? I _really_ don't want him eating anything in this place."

Talia let Sarah and Dogmeat leave ahead of her. She was clearly more than a little annoyed, so hopefully she would have cooled off by the time Talia rejoined them. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves after all they'd seen and opened the case to see what all the trouble had been for. Inside was some incomprehensible technical miscellany; a keypad, a display screen, some circuitry and tubing, along with several vials containing some kind of liquid. Supposedly this device could kickstart life where there was none. She wondered how James had figured it would fit into the purifier, given she had no clue how such a small bunch of components could achieve such huge results.

She closed it carefully, subconsciously comparing it to the silver case Burke had presented to her months ago. A small amount of atomic material could have huge effects. Maybe it was kind of the opposite.

"May as well be magic to me. I hope it works like it," she muttered, figuring out the best way to carry it without shaking it around too much. She thought the moment ought to have felt more climactic, but she tottered down the hallway with the awkward weight of the case skewing her gait and making her feel vulnerable, despite being sure they had cleared the whole Vault. Something about the deformed corpses and orphaned rib cages littering the place left her on edge, she supposed.

She paused at the top of the stairs out of the G.E.C.K. containment section to adjust the case before descending. As she stepped into the opening at the bottom, she saw something land on the ground from the corner of her eye. Was that- a grenade? _Shit-_

It blew before she could make a dash for it. The room went white. Her head was filled with a high pitched whine. She felt the floor rush to meet her as she lost all sense of direction and fell down. She dropped the case. She groped for it briefly before deciding she ought to find her weapon instead, but her arms grew sluggish. Her neck followed, until she was lying paralysed on the floor.

The bright light began to fade. She heard heavy, familiar footsteps. Her heart raced as her mind connected horrifying dots, her body still refusing to respond. Two large figures entered her blurry vision. They stopped just in front of her. A voice broke through the faint ringing in her ears, tinny as coming from a radio.

"Objective is secured, sir."

The figures waited, and in her panic Talia wondered if there were more intelligent supermutants like Fawkes in the Vault. They usually yelled and weren't so organised. Another figure appeared from the far door. It approached and crouched just above Talia's face. As it blocked out the bright lights overhead, she blinked and tried to focus while it spoke in a familiar, reassuring voice.

"Good work, soldier. Make sure the G.E.C.K. is secured aboard my Vertibird." Colonel Autumn addressed his troops while looking down at Talia's paralysed form. "You're certain she's unharmed?"

She must be hallucinating. She saw Autumn go down in the control room with her dad. She blinked several times more to clear her vision, only now even that was getting difficult.

"Yes sir," the soldier answered. "She'll pass out shortly, but we can revive her."

Autumn stood, apparently satisfied. "Excellent. Prepare her for transport immediately." He left via the door through which they had entered. Talia tried to keep her eyes on him, to confirm he was real, but she was so tired, everything was going dark.

The last thing she heard was the two soldiers talking as she vaguely sensed herself being heaved from the ground. "Glad she saved us the trouble of clearing this place. Gives me the creeps."


	26. Cold Feet

Talia awoke gradually, with visions of mutants and monstrosities swirling in her mind. She didn't want to know which were dreams and which were memories.

She blinked her eyes open and didn't recognise anything. Machinery hummed around her and a quiet _beep_ kept time. A woman stood at the foot of the bed in which she lay, wearing a white coat and studying a clipboard. Talia looked down at herself and found her wrist devoid of its Pip-Boy and handcuffed to the rail that ran along the hospital bed. The beeps came more frequently as panic rose in her throat, and she tried lamely to pull her hand free and sit up to escape. Her vision swam and the doctor turned at the noise.

"Hey, calm down," a hand pushed her back into the pillows. "You're fine, just relax."

Talia resisted and screamed. All she could think of was the man she'd found in the Vault, locked in an isolation room like Fawkes, screaming and ranting about something being under his skin. Presumably he knew his transformation was on the horizon, and not even the sight of another human to rescue him could snap him out of his frenzied state.

The doctor put a lot more weight into keeping Talia down. "Calm down right now, or I'll have to sedate you, you hear?!"

But Talia was tiring already. Her writhing slowed, she looked up at the doctor and shook her head. "No, please, don't turn me into one of them. I don't want to. I won't. I won't! You'll have to kill me instead."

"What?" The doctor frowned and mumbled to herself. "Are they supposed to have delusions afterward? I don't recall…"

"The mutants," Talia whispered, "they're people, aren't they? If you inject me I'm coming back for you first. I'll remember."

The doctor turned her attention back to Talia and scowled. "There are no mutants here. You're in medical bay two, and I'm _trying_ to monitor your vitals. Now stop this insane yammering or I will have to sedate you. Do you understand?"

Talia blinked several times. "No mutants?"

"No. None. It's just me and you in here, and some other doctors and sick people out there." The doctor tentatively lifted her hands to test if Talia would remain still, and she did. "Good. Now, you've been unconscious, and I've given you something to revive you. I need to check you haven't suffered any brain injuries or other related problems."

"Oh…" Talia relaxed a little while she acknowledged the place didn't look like the run down Vault where the supermutant experiments took place. The ceilings were taller, the walls were painted and not crumbling, built with sweeping curves instead of corners. The room was warm, well lit, and full of working medical equipment; some she recognised from her dad's clinic, some she'd never seen before. "Where am I?"

"You're in an Enclave facility. That's all you need to know."

Talia remembered following Sarah and Fawkes out of the labs, then a flash…

"We're not in space are we?"

The doctor looked over her shoulder sternly while she collected something from the desk. "Why would you ask something like that? No, we're not in _space_. Do you want me to assume you have a concussion?"

"Oh… good. I just can't tell what's going to happen next anymore. It would be just my luck."

The doctor raised an eyebrow and returned to the bedside.

"What's going on?"

The doctor brandished a penlight in front of Talia's face. "You've been brought here for some reason- now, look into this light for me- but I'm sure you know more about that than me."

_The G.E.C.K._ But they already had it if her memory was correct. They took it when they took her. "Why do I feel so weird?"

"Weird?"

"Hot. And cold. And like everything is shaking. Inside."

"That could be the anti-radiation drugs you've had. I suppose you're not used to the potency. They've run their course already, the symptoms should be gone in an hour or so."

"Anti-rads…?" Talia relived what she remembered while the doctor checked her reflexes. Her captors had entered the Vault not from the direction of Little Lamplight, but the main entrance. The entrance blanketed in so much radiation only supermutants could use it. The Enclave must have chems far more effective than the old _Rad-X_ available to the wastelanders if they could cross the area that the Brotherhood of Steel could not.

Whatever the doctor had given Talia to wake her had set her mind whirring, as she connected this information to the overload in the purifier control room. "That's how he survived…! It must be."

"Hm?" the doctor hummed absently while moving to the other side of the bed.

"Autumn. He must have had those chems to survive the radiation overload? At the purifier?" Talia looked expectantly at the doctor for an answer, but she only received a cursory glance.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Whatever cleverness she felt was fleeting, as she realised James' actions to take out one of the Enclave leaders along with their chance of controlling the purifier was in vain. A wave of nausea left her wondering if it was still the drugs or not.

After several rounds of balance, strength, and memory tests the doctor was satisfied Talia was fine. She made a brief call on a phone and a few minutes later two soldiers entered the room. Talia was uncuffed from the bed and given one minute to change from her hospital gown into a jumpsuit. Then her hands were cuffed behind her and a hood was pulled over her head.

"What's going on, Doc?" she called out nervously.

"You can't stay here. You're just being moved to a cell. Is that right, Corporal?"

"Yes, ma'am," the guard holding her arm answered.

That was the last she heard as she was marched out of the room and along what she assumed were hallways. The floor was metal grating, she could feel the slits against her bare feet, and it rattled under the guard's footsteps. The air was dry and hot and filled with the familiar hum of an air circulation system. They must be underground, though what she'd seen didn't look like a Vault. She stumbled as they descended a flight of stairs and the other guard gripped her other arm, taking most of her weight so her feet only skipped across the steps.

She didn't even have to try to hold her tongue. She still felt strange from the drugs she'd been told about (and worried there were others she wasn't). The hood made her movements clumsy, regularly sending her into the corrective grasp of one of her chaperones. The overalls were entirely too baggy to be of any sense of security. She tried to deepen her breathing and focussed on the fact a doctor had spent quite a long time checking her health. That had to be a good sign.

The guards stopped and Talia heard a door being opened. That was the short way to describe what sounded like a big, heavy, vault-type hatch transitioning from a state of being extremely locked to something more passable. She tensed up, unable as she was to move her hands from behind her.

"Relax, sweetheart," came the voice beside her. "Home sweet home."

She did anything but, and she was directed through the door. The guard pushed her against a wall. She gasped as he yanked off the hood, scrunching her eyes closed in the bright light.

"You keep still now," he warned, and she heard the jangle of keys. A second later her hands were free, the guard had stepped back, and a blue translucent wall of light had sprung up in a semi circle around her, pinning her close to the wall where the guard had put her.

"Prisoner ready for handover, sir."

She heard people talking by the door. As her vision adjusted to the light she saw she was in an oval room with the same metal floor as outside. It was empty but for a lavatory in what would normally be a corner. She saw the guards that had brought her here hand over some papers and a bag to a young man in a smart uniform, who inspected them and then her briefly from just inside the room. She expected him to come over and give her some sort of talking to, but they all left, the door closed, and the force field dissipated.

She didn't know where she was, when it was, or whether Fawkes, Sarah and Dogmeat had been caught too. Or worse. Until somebody came to talk to her, and she had no idea when or if that would happen, she was alone with nothing but her thoughts. She slithered down the wall to the ground and hugged her knees. Her thoughts were no kind of company right now.

* * *

There were strange tales being passed around travellers to the north. The investigator had followed the Vertibirds out of Little Lamplight in pursuit of Mr. Burke's girl. They'd drawn out of sight within minutes, but he wasn't able to charge his fee because he gave up easily. He couldn't know where they would land, nor could he just walk that direction forever and hope to stumble into their destination. Unless he was very lucky, and he didn't really believe in luck.

What he could do was ask around, and ask around he did. The wasteland wasn't very populous, but there were well trodden routes used by traders, refugees, or settlers looking for a better lot. Flying machines, they said. Clear as day and loud as anything. Others talked of a mutant, but not the usual kind. It wasn't ripping people apart or carrying them away, though it was devastating to anything that got in its way. A child spoke of a monster that shot lasers from its eyes and saved him from becoming a yao guai's lunch.

All very interesting. But it didn't help him pinpoint the girl. After a while he began to suspect the trail had run cold, but in his experience strange coincidences tended not to be entirely unrelated. And so he continued north, walking and talking. His wife said curiosity would be the death of him, but it hadn't got him yet.

* * *

"Let's keep this nice and simple. You're going to tell me the code for that purifier and you're going to tell me now."

Autumn stood in the centre of Talia's cell like a ghost, a bad dream come back to life. She hadn't had to wait long before he came to her, but it was long enough for her to have lived out every worst case scenario in her head already.

He was one of the most handsome men she'd ever seen, but his eyes were cool and piercing and looked straight through her as if she were no more than an annoying bug he wished to crush under his boot. He sounded exactly as he did before he shot Janice, and the scene replayed itself in her mind.

"Why would I help you… you killed my dad you son of a bitch."

Autumn struck her with the back of his hand. He continued, irritation edging his words until his voice slowed to his previous, somehow grandfatherly drawl. "Why do you choose to provoke me? Technically your father killed himself. His loyalties lay with the wrong people and he paid the price. You, on the other hand, have the opportunity to learn from his mistakes."

Talia held back tears that were only partly down to her stinging cheek. She stared hard at the floor, voice a whisper. "What's happening?"

Autumn began to pace. "I'll tell you: you lost. The good guys won this one and now we're just wrapping up loose ends. We've got the purifier, we just need the code to start it. You're going to give me that code now and save us all a lot of trouble. Maybe I'll even let you go. So- out with it."

By the look on his face when he walked in, Talia thought he'd have shot her by now. "You want this real bad."

"And you should know why. We can't start the purifier without it. The longer it isn't running, the more people suffer. Do you want to be responsible for that?"

He paused and Talia looked up to find him watching his words sink in. He really seemed to believe what he was saying, and he didn't care how many eggs he cracked to make his omelette. Or who those eggs were.

He carried on though she didn't answer. "Now I'm running out of patience, missy. I want that code and I want it now."

Talia didn't know where to go from here. She didn't know about any code, she'd spent her time at the purifier tightening bolts, twisting wires, and annoying Daniel. "I… I don't know the code."

Autumn frowned deeply. "You lie!" He turned away in disgust, then turned back and drew his pistol.

_Well, this is it._ To Talia's surprise, her life didn't flash before her eyes. She didn't run or fight or even think of anything witty to say just to go out in style. Her legs actually went weak and she staggered back against the wall, slowly sinking to the ground.

Autumn glared at her for several long seconds, twitching as he wrestled with his temper. He finally subdued it and whirled around with a huff. "You better give it up soon. I don't like having to waste resources on you."

He left and once again Talia was alone, weeping a pool of shamefaced reprieve.

* * *

"Hold it, civilian. It's dangerous out here. How did you-"

"It's me you idiot."

"Oh- Sentinel Lyons! Sorry, I didn't- what are you doing here? Where's your armour?"

"Long story, Brother. I need to see Three Dog. Is he still yapping in there?"

"Does a yao guai shit in the wastes? Yeah, go right on up."

"Good. And we got any food in this place?"

"Yes, ask the Sarge inside."

"Good. I'm starving." Sarah passed by the soldier guarding the GNR Plaza. Albeit she'd slogged another day and night back to the city from Vault 87, taking power naps and issue stimulants in order to make good time, but she was glad they held this spot. It was relatively easy to reach and saved her having to go another few hours to the Citadel. They guarded the Galaxy News Radio building so Three Dog could broadcast his incessant chatter about the _Good Fight_, and the Brotherhood got a defensible base within the city ruins. At least that's the benefit she saw. Her father said the radio was good for morale and the Brotherhood's reputation out in the wastes.

She went inside and relayed what she could to Knight-Sergeant Wilks in the time it took her to eat what was on offer in three bites. She was waiting in the caverns' parking lot with Talia's dog- she didn't see the supermutant she released and it clearly hadn't walked through Little Lamplight (but she didn't mention that to Wilks)- when she heard aircraft. She moved around the clearing and sure enough saw two Enclave Vertibirds leaving the other side of the mountain, where the main Vault entrance was located. The kids confirmed Talia had not come back through yet, so she had to go back into that horrific Vault to look for her. She assumed the Enclave had tailed them somehow to steal the geck. She didn't find the geck nor, thankfully, Talia's body anywhere inside. Dogmeat whined and scratched at the door to the main entrance, which she took to mean Talia was taken along with the geck. She hightailed it all the way back to the city, and on the way realised Three Dog might be of some help.

Sarah headed up the stairs to where the man lived and worked. The whole floor, which was once an office presumably staffed by several people, was now effectively one large apartment. She swore it got messier whenever she ventured up here. The studio took up one whole corner, a kitchen another, while all around lay assorted radio equipment, cups, clothes, useless memorabilia, office supplies, and whatever broken stuff remained from the original setup. The building had been damaged quite badly before the Brotherhood shored it up and set up shop downstairs. He was probably the most protected civilian in the wasteland.

He turned at the sound of her footsteps before she had a chance to speak. He might have been getting older but he didn't act or dress like it. For someone living amidst the endless conflict in the Capital Wasteland, he managed to keep up appearances that suited his profession.

"The look on your face says it all. You're wondering who the heck this guy is and why you should care. Well, prepare to be enlightened. I am Three Dog, jockey of discs and teller of truths. Lord and master over the finest radio station to grace the wastes: Galaxy News Radio. And you, well- oh. I know who you are."

"Hello Three Dog. Sentinel Lyons, from downstairs. You run that spiel across everyone you meet?"

Three Dog waved his hand in exasperation. "Man, those cats downstairs called up to say I had a visitor."

"Sorry to disappoint."

He laughed heartily. "You could never disappoint me Miss Lyons. I wouldn't dare ever be anything but delighted to see you. C'mon, take a load off, what can old Three Dog do for you?"

Sarah absorbed his usual manner with a careful sigh and gratefully took a seat.

"Man, you look shattered. Burning the candle at both ends since the Enclave showed huh?"

Sarah stopped him with a finger at the word. "The Enclave... they have our Vault girl."

"You mean… that kid from Vault 101?"

"Yeah, the uh… what do you call her…?"

"The Lone Wanderer. Yeah. Came up with that one myself."

"Right. Well they've got her. Must've tracked us the whole time we were on a mission."

"Shit. Think she's still alive?"

Sarah blew a heavy sigh. "I hope so. Probably. I think they'll want her for the purifier. Anyway, I saw them fly away, but I don't know where they were going. Do you have any idea?"

Three Dog stroked his goatee. "There are rumours of an Enclave hideout to the north, but that's all this dog's got on that. You'd be better off having this one sniff them out." He threw Dogmeat a scrap from an open box of cakes on the table.

Sarah looked on the mutt that had somehow become her ward. "Well, do you think we could find out? Would your listeners know, or someone might have seen something?"

"Well we'll find out won't we? Wouldn't be able to call myself Galaxy News if I didn't report _this _particular sequence of events." He whistled a long note. "Man, this Vault 101 story just keeps gettin' crazier. I wonder what that bitch is feelin' right about now, deep in the Enclave's lair. Or maybe they're cosying right up. Birds of a feather 'n' all that."

Sarah blinked. "You want to repeat that?"

"What?"

"What are you getting at?"

"C'mon, Sarah, baby… you musta heard all about her and Megaton. Looks to be in cahoots with old Tenpenny. She probably struck a fuckin' deal with these guys. If not, I hope they give her the welcome she deserves."

Sarah glared. "She's on our side."

"Says you…" He shifted in his seat under the force of her gaze. "But... you've met her so, alright, we'll take your word for it." He threw Dogmeat another scrap.

Sarah sat back. "So, you'll get this news out asap and let me know immediately if anyone comes forward with any intel we can use to find her or the place she was taken?"

"Sure! I'll break it down very next news break. But no one'll hear it."

Sarah pinched the bridge of her nose. Everything was a performance with this guy. "Why not?"

"Months ago some brainless supermutant thought it would be funny to shoot the shiny round thing on top of the Washington monument. That shiny thing was our broadcast relay. Without it our range is quite limited. Barely any signal just outside of downtown. Any further and it's snake city."

Sarah narrowed her tired eyes and cocked her head to one side.

"Nothin' but 'hisssssss'," Three Dog elaborated.

Sarah squeezed her eyes shut tight and sighed. "Can't you fix it?"

"Love to, but the thing is swiss cheese. Need a replacement, and _of course_ the factory that made them is long gone."

"Three Dog, is this going somewhere or are you just bitching about your problems to the first person stupid enough to come up here? Because I'm in quite a hurry."

Three Dog laughed heartily again. "Alright Sentinel, don't hold back, say what you really feel. Alright, one of your guys actually mentioned seeing a similar dish in the Museum of Technology. It's the dish from the Virgo II Lunar Lander. Can't believe it hasn't been looted already, but I guess the supermutants kept people away. They giveth just as they taketh away, huh."

Sarah drummed her fingers on her thigh. She usually avoided this guy, let others deal with him so long as the outpost was running just fine. But it felt like her only option at the moment to maybe help Talia. And anyway, her father said Three Dog's broadcasts were important, that wars were mental and spiritual battles as much as physical. Plus, if it helped them discover the location of an Enclave base the Brotherhood would finally be one step ahead.

"I'll get the dish, Three Dog. You start telling the story, okay?"

"You will? Wow, I'm honoured as always to have the Brotherhood of Steel at my back, Sentinel. I'll be sure to sing your praises- oh hell, I'll play you a tribute song. What's your request? Whatever you like, you name it, I've got it. Well, maybe. It is the post-apocalypse after all."

"Oh- no… tell you what. Play a tribute for all the Brothers who have died honourable deaths in this fight against the Enclave and the supermutants. It's the best any of us can hope for." Sarah got up then and left, returning briefly to drag away Dogmeat who was patiently waiting for more scraps.

Downstairs she gathered the troops not on patrol or watch. "I need three volunteers. Who's up for a little sightseeing?"

* * *

At some point Talia stopped flinching whenever she heard footsteps pass her cell door. Instead, as she lay on the floor staring at the ceiling, feet resting on the wall, she visualised her interrogator entering the room. The horrible one. She only knew him as Dean, and she didn't know if that was a first name, last name, or some sort of title, since he insisted she use it constantly when speaking to him. He just called her Wastelander, among other things.

In her mind he would enter her cell and disable the containment field, but before he could get close to cuff her and take her to the room he said no one knew about, or perhaps to the waste disposal like he had threatened, someone would appear in the doorway behind him. He would stop, she now wearing the knowing grin instead. And Burke would call to him, to allow him a second of realisation before ending his life and taking Talia out the way he had arrived.

It was a fanciful daydream, but it passed the time.

_Time._ The word was meaningless. It might have been one or four days since Autumn spoke to her. She hadn't seen a window since she got here. Neither of her interrogators wore a watch. She tried to sleep whenever she was alone in her cell, but her existence was punctuated by random visits from one of them, sometimes to question her, sometimes just to make sure she wasn't sleeping. The highlight of her day was when she heard a hatch in the door swish open, rather than the thud of the magnetic locks. That meant Williams was delivering some food.

Lieutenant Williams was the officer to whom she was handed over when she was put in the cell. She'd heard somebody address him by name while the hatch was open, much to his annoyance, but he'd already begun to have short exchanges with her. She wouldn't call it conversation yet though. He and the food he posted through the door was the only thing that gave Talia any sense of rhythm. He must work a regular shift pattern, so she gathered if he was around it was probably daytime. But she had no way to know for sure.

She started as the locks began to disengage. She struggled up from her spot by the wall, moving with much more difficulty than usual due to her last visit from Dean. Each thud was like a countdown and she got into position opposite the door, on the containment field platform, as she'd quickly learnt she should. The door opened and she sighed as she saw it was the other guy, Dave.

Dave was nice. He was much younger than Dean, or at least looked it, and far more reasonable. He spoke to her as if she wasn't just a troublemaker from the wastes, and called her by her name. She wondered what he did for the Enclave because he seemed more like a teacher or something than a military man. She'd started to feel happy to see him because he would talk to her generally. It wasn't all questions.

"Hello Talia," he said as genially as always, closing the cell door behind him and deactivating the energy field. "Oh, that's quite a black eye you've got coming on there. For such a talker you really don't want to say anything do you?" He crouched opposite Talia as she worked her way down into a half comfortable seat on the ground, using the wall for support.

"No one seems very interested in conversation to be honest," she joked with a slight smile. She had no idea why she was joking around, but Dave's sympathetic chuckle in response made her day.

"That will come I'm sure. Well, anyway- do you remember what you asked me before?"

Talia shook her head dumbly. The lack of sleep and routine had blurred all memories, nightmares, and daydreams into one big mental blancmange.

"Here. For you." Dave reached into the pocket of his jacket. It was a dark, hunting type jacket this time, over a plain white t-shirt. Talia wondered if he changed daily, or if he wore several outfits just to throw off her sense of time.

She watched with intrigue as he pulled out a pair of black woolen socks. She gasped in excitement, which sent a shooting pain through her sore ribs. She welled up as he leant over to hand them to her. "You actually got them?" She fondled them thoroughly to check they were real. They were. _And so_ _thick._

"I did. You've been good with me, Talia. Don't think we're not reasonable. We can make your life a lot better."

But Talia was barely listening. She beamed as she slipped the socks onto her chilly feet. "Fuck, they're so warm. Oh my God, I feel saner already. _Thank you."_ She shifted as to hug him but stopped herself, unsure of the rules and hurting all over anyway.

He smiled and patted her shoulder. "I'm glad you like them. Now… I'm afraid I bring some bad news too."

"Oh?" She wasn't sure what could dampen her spirits now she finally had toasty toes.

"Look… The boss is going to want an update soon. He wants the activation code for the purifier. Like I said, you've been good with me, but that's all he wants. If you don't give us something… I'm worried he'll decide he has no further use for you."

Talia's face dropped. "But... I don't know it. I told you-"

"Which _also _means you're of no use to him," Dave interrupted softly. "I'm just warning you, Talia. That's likely how this will play out if you stick to this line. Regardless, it's silly to hold out like this. This," he pointed to her bruised face, "doesn't have to happen anymore."

"But I don't know the code," she whimpered.

"Well, you better start thinking hard about what it could be."

He stood and left, not bothering with the containment field. Talia remained slumped against the wall. Despite the warm socks her whole body had chills, and now she'd trade them in a heartbeat for a blanket under which to hide and never come out.


	27. With Friends Like These

Gustavo stroked his chin as his men bickered over another hand of poker. He seemed to be breaking up more of their stupid fights since Talia disappeared. Interesting. Even men of war seemed to need the presence of women to temper their default mood of being ready to go. And for more than a few hours a month.

"Grayson, sorry but he's right. A straight _is_ a hand, and it beats what you got."

"Seriously? C'mon, he's always talking shit."

"It is, I should know. Saw old Dashwood lose with it last week." He didn't need to mention his own shambolic performance.

"Oh fuck off," Grayson conceded the argument and kicked the table leg as he pushed his cards into the middle.

"And an apology for those awful things you said earlier, if you please," Johnny mocked while scooping the caps to his side.

"I'm sorry that you're such a jammy little bastard," Grayson sneered.

Gustavo appreciated the time he stole with Ann-Marie a lot more, anyway. "Boys, boys," he shushed them with a gesture, "what is this music? Is this the radio?"

"Oh yeah. We got Galaxy News again. Just started workin' earlier today."

"Is that right? Well turn it up. Haven't heard anything we've not played to death for months, and let's see what they have to say about the Enclave. You know everything Eden says is sugar-coated."

They continued playing and listening a while until eventually a news break began.

"_People of the Capital Wasteland, this is Three Dog, your friendly neighborhood disc jockey. What's a "disc"? Hell if I know. But I'm gonna keep talkin' anyway. _

_For those of you at the back, we had some technical problems for a long while, but that's all fixed thanks to one Brotherhood of Steel hero, as generous as she is deadly. We at GNR are once again beaming our message of hope and truth directly into your brains _wherever _you happen to be in this corner of Post-Apocalyptia. So if you've been missing me, dry off your tears, I'm back._

"_Now, if you live in what was until recently a GNR deadzone, you might be wondering what has become of the kid we love to hate: the Lone Wanderer. _

"'_But Three Dog,' I hear you say, 'the kid from the Vault was working on the water purifier. She can't be all bad!'_

"_Well, children, life is complicated. Maybe she _was _trying to atone for her sins. And it might've worked if the Enclave didn't show up. Don't be fooled, they aren't here to help you, and you shouldn't trust that machine now they've got their dirty paws on it._

"_Now, get this: the Lone Wanderer has wandered herself right into the Enclave's sinister clutches. My deep cover super secret agents tell me she was an unwilling passenger on a Vertibird that flew out of the mountains to the west, but… I can't be the only one that finds the timing a little convenient._

"_If Eden declares this kid Vice President I swear to God I will swallow this microphone._

"_And that's all I have for now on the Vault 101 saga. I'll bring you more as soon as it happens. In the meantime, let's hope the kid is as good as I know some of you believe. Maybe doin' time with the Enclave will help her see the light… or maybe she'll join the dark side. Let's hope she chooses right. The Good Fight needs all of you._

"_And now… some music."_

"Shit." Gustavo shoved his drink into Grayson's hand and shot to the lobby. He had to tell Burke.

* * *

Burke returned from Dashwood's apartment disappointed but a little more clear headed. They'd spent a good part of the evening searching his adventuring notes and memoirs for any mention of military forts and bunkers that weren't completely derelict. Anything that could actually still be in use today by the Enclave. If he could rule out those that were definitely abandoned he might have a handful of potential sites. Send some mercs to investigate. Maybe he'd find where they had taken Talia. But they'd found nothing, and Three Dog on the radio was being no more specific than a general compass direction.

He opened the door to his own suite and stepped over broken glass. The tumbler was unlucky to be the closest thing to him when Gustavo came up to give him the news. He grabbed a fresh bottle of water and paced while draining it. But it would be little use even if he discovered another Enclave base. Now they were no longer hiding their presence they would be guarding the perimeter. He wouldn't get close. He certainly couldn't storm the place even if he hired every Talon agent he could afford.

The only way he could influence Talia's situation was to make contact with whomever was in charge. If nothing had changed that would be Colonel Autumn. Or of course the President. But he had no leads on presidential links and he'd burned his Enclave contact after he acquired the fusion pulse charge. It would take weeks at best to gain another, and even then that had been out east with a focus on their technological manufacturing capabilities. It was no certainty he could gain the attention of the specific people who now held Talia captive somewhere to the north.

He launched the water bottle into the wall, careless of the flying shards of now useless glass. But he had to make contact! He racked his brains for every person with whom he'd ever exchanged names. Who were their friends? What were their histories?

His thoughts were interrupted by the slamming of a door. Tenpenny was returning to his suite, likely having finished another balcony night shoot. Then it hit him. Tenpenny could know somebody. He'd been around long enough doing business with all manner of shady characters. And his most ambitious raid was a well kept secret of an old fort; his connections had brought him knowledge of the high tech weapon stored within. Perhaps where these connections got their insight would be of interest. Everybody thought the Enclave had been in hiding, completely isolated, but things were never that neat. There were always leaks. Burke himself had known a former Enclave agent, before the wasteland claimed them. Exile or deserter, he never found out.

He crossed the landing and rapped on Tenpenny's door, entering without particularly waiting for an answer.

"Sir, I thought I might catch you before you retire for the night. Something urgent."

Tenpenny jumped and then scowled at the impetuous interruption. "Mr. Burke, uh… urgent? So urgent that you can't bloody, knock!"

"My apologies, but yes," Burke replied brusquely. "I need your assistance."

"My assistance! Huh! What for? Can't you deal with it? You do most things."

Burke bit his tongue. "Sir… I'll deal with the rest, I assure you. I just need to know one thing from you. If you have any contacts that are or were members of the Enclave. Or any that might know one."

"The Enclave? What do you want with them?"

"Tenpenny-" Burke pinched between his eyebrows. "It really is imperative I make contact. For the good of the tower. Is there anybody you've worked with that might be connected?"

Tenpenny grumbled and shuffled around, lowering himself into a chair by a side table on which he had placed his sniper rifle. "Ugh… I uh… there was one fellow… died years ago though. But no.. no, what do you mean? Are they coming for the tower? What are you planning with them? I want to know the reason for this. Everything. I demand to know!"

Burke ground his teeth. The man was unusually irascible lately. He really didn't have time for this. "Sir, as you know, our VIPs are very important to the tower. Now we really don't have time to go over every detail- the Enclave is out there right now after all. They're not taking over the tower but it does concern one of our VIPs, and what is this place without them?"

"_VIP, VIP_," the old man clucked with a wave of his hand. "You mean that girl don't you!"

Burke blinked in annoyance. "What?"

"Don't play dumb, man. Talk to me straight, damn it!"

Burke paced further into the room, discarding the last veneer of servility. "Talia. I mean Talia. Next door. Cleared Megaton for you. The only VIP that's worth anything around here, yes."

Tenpenny smiled thinly. "Of course, of course. Yes, Megaton. That was interesting, wasn't it? Very fortunate how all that came about, wasn't it? I'm still not quite sure myself, really…"

Burke sighed tersely. "Tenpenny- this is not relevant. I need to know if you know any Enclave people. Now."

"I don't like your tone, Burke-"

Burke cut in, raising his voice. "I don't care. God damn it they have her, now make yourself useful and tell me who you know."

Tenpenny sat forward in his seat. "Oh I know they have her, Burke. I've heard all about how she's made a deal with these people. Now is she stringing you along too? Or are you in on it?"

Deal? The man must have spent all day listening to the radio and letting his senility run away with what he heard. "Tenpenny, you're not making any sense. Just answer my question and then get some rest-"

"No, Burke! No more! I know all about you and her. I've seen your letters. 'VIP'. VIP indeed. I'm not an idiot. You've barely worked with me on anything for… for ages now. Then she shows up, you're barely around... she's involved with the purifier… and now, the Enclave. It's quite obvious you're expanding without me! After all these years! I didn't think _you _would betray me, Burke."

Burke was dumbfounded. The old drunk had lost his mind. "Tenpenny- no- you really ought to get some rest-"

"No Burke! I know you're game. Trying to make me, disbelieve my own gut. My own mind! You've fooled me long enough, but I knew something was funny. The only question is, are you committed? Or does she have you twisted around her scheming little finger?" He sat back and wafted the question away. "Oh it doesn't matter anymore. She'd have ruined you, Burke. And me."

Burke stared as he tried to tease any sense out of the old man's rambling. "What do you mean?"

"Women can't be trusted. She was going to ruin everything! I couldn't let it happen. Now you can tell me what you were plotting, and we continue together. Like before. But no more of your shite!"

"What do you mean?" Burke repeated more slowly.

"No more of your lies, Burke. Not to me!"

"Not that. You couldn't let what happen? What have you done?" Burke stepped forward.

Tenpenny squinted up at him, wetting his lips. "Well, she went to the Enclave anyway, but it still stands. I won't help you contact them. Your plans are dead. Let it be a lesson to you. Don't try to plot against me."

The man was either being purposely obtuse or his deteriorating mind couldn't follow a straight path through the conversation. Burke spoke slowly and quietly. "What lesson? What did you do?"

"She's a dead woman, Burke. You haven't walled me away completely, despite your efforts. I still have friends, despite your betrayal. I have other people I can talk to if I want somebody dead. Bear that in mind from now on before you go making any secret plans behind my back."

Burke could hardly believe what he was hearing. "It was you?"

"Was it me what?"

"_You_ put the contract out for her?"

"Well technically _I_ didn't, I know someone who knows some- wait, how do you know about it? Huh! Already had a go have they?"

Burke observed Tenpenny coldly, while a roiling heat distended from the pit of his stomach to the tips of his fingers. "Oh, I know about it," he clarified quietly. The amusement on the old man's face drained away beneath his gaze. "What? You really thought I don't run in those circles? How did you think I did half the things you asked of me?"

Tenpenny blinked rapidly. "Wha… well… well it doesn't matter. It's done!"

"No it isn't." Burke stepped very deliberately toward Tenpenny, who reached for his rifle. Burke grabbed the barrel and ripped it from the old man's weaker grasp easily, flinging it to the ground behind him. "You're going to take it back."

Tenpenny rose to his feet in defiance. "I'll do no such thing!"

Burke grasped the silk lapelles of his velvet jacket. Such finery to dress up an odious wretch. "Retract it."

"Unhand me! Now, and I might let you live!"

Burke pulled him away from the table and slammed the old man into the wall. "You're in no position to be making threats. Retract it you stupid old fool."

"Never!" Burke tried to shake some sense into him but he just grew more defiant, ranting about revenge. "I have friends! You'll pay for this!"

The stupid old man tried to fight him off. Burke grappled with him briefly, taking little more than a few scratches. There was no bargaining with him. He got him back under control and pinned the delusional old fool to the wall by his throat. "You have no friends. Just people who haven't finished taking your money yet. You're nothing to anybody but a payday and a headache."

"Traitor!" Tenpenny spat. All the old man had left was to try to kick Burke between the legs.

He avoided the strike from the tough leather riding boots, but it took him away from the wall and Tenpenny lurched forward in an attempt to free himself. Burke swung him around, dragging him sideways into the four poster bed that dominated his suite. Tenpenny tumbled at the edge and found himself being very purposely and forcefully buried face down in the pillows.

Burke leant his whole weight into his hands that laid on the back of Tenpenny's head. He shifted a knee into his back to stop him squirming. "This is my tower Tenpenny. I built this place up from nothing. Without me you wouldn't have any of this. You dare call me a traitor. Have my people killed."

He forced him another inch deeper, ignoring the muffled cries that were neatly captured by the sumptuous filling of his bedding. Burke's eyes seared a hole in the back of his jacket until he swore he could smell singed velvet. He liked to think he was pleading for his life, making a last ditch attempt at a deal. But it was more likely his last breath would be spent cursing Burke for perceived treachery. He'd barely shown an inkling of fear and that only added insult to injury. Burke may not have broken the old Brit's stiff upper lip, but Tenpenny had learned the truth and lost. He could sleep knowing the old wretch had realised his whole position was all thanks to him- both at the top as a successful wasteland entrepreneur and here, suffocating in his own bed.

He stopped screaming. His vain writhing grew weaker and more erratic, gradually ebbing to nothing, and Burke felt the tower's figurehead go limp beneath him. He held him a second more, but he knew it was no trick. He stepped back from the lifeless body of one of the wasteland's most infamous men and took a deep, cleansing breath. "You should have talked to me, old man."

But damn it, this was a mess he didn't have time to clean up. He'd have to think about this.

* * *

Burke poked his head into Cafe Beau Monde early in the morning, before Miss Primrose had opened up for breakfast. She was behind the counter preparing ingredients.

"Ah, Miss Primrose, good morning." He ambled inside to where she could see him. "I'm just stopping by to tell you not to bother Mr. Tenpenny today. He's been sick since last night and told me he doesn't want to be disturbed."

"Oh dear. Nothing too nasty I hope. Well, thank you for telling me. Um… I already made his breakfast though… should I take it up in case he feels better? I don't like to waste it."

"Oh, allow me. He's exceptionally ill-tempered at the moment, I'll save you the experience."

"Oh, you are a dear. Thank you. Have a nice day now."

Burke returned her smile and collected the breakfast tray from the counter. He dumped the whole thing in a bin on his way to the lobby.

He retrieved his hat and coat from where he'd left them on Gustavo's desk and headed outside to look for the security chief. The sun had not yet risen but his team was already rostered on given the uncertain situation with the Enclave.

He found Gustavo at the gate. He beckoned him away with a twitch of his head and waited for him to draw near. "Gustavo… I need a favour," he said quietly while leading them round the side of the building away from prying ears.

"It's early… what is it?"

Burke said nothing until they had reached the outdoor seating area, conscious of how his voice carried in the cold twilight air. "Smoke?" He offered his case to Gustavo. "I think you'll need one."

Gustavo frowned and took a cigarette but declined a light. "Maybe later. What's this about?"

Burke took his time lighting up and looked around them to make sure they were alone. He beckoned Gustavo closer for good measure. "In a day or so, you're going to find Tenpenny has been rather ill. And unfortunately he… succumbed. I need you to control how this gets out. And make sure the doctor doesn't find anything… unnatural about his passing. He's an old man and a drunk, after all."

Gustavo blinked and laughed nervously under his breath. "Am I… am I reading correctly between the lines here?"

Burke nodded. "Told you you'd want that cigarette."

"Yeah… sure… yeah, right." Gustavo rummaged for his own lighter.

"I'm sorry to drop this all on you, old friend, but you see, I need to leave for a while as well."

Gustavo got lit up and took a long first drag. "Not like you to hide?"

Burke shook his head. "No, I'm not. It's this Enclave situation. It's almost certainly linked to the purifier. I'm going to go over there, Rivet City, Citadel, wherever. Try and make contact. Work out a trade. Get Talia out."

Gustavo nodded in approval. "Right. Good. Yeah, you should do that. Don't worry about this, I'll take care of it."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

They stood quietly a few moments until Burke continued. "There's another thing… If I succeed, I can't bring her back here."

Gustavo cocked his head to one side. "Why not?"

Burke smiled a lopsided smirk. "If you ever make a deal with the Devil, Gustavo, don't expect it to work in your favour forever. It might not be obvious but somehow, someway, he will fuck you. Maybe even just for fun."

Gustavo scoffed. "Do I even want to know?"

Burke stared darkly at the faint glow of daybreak creeping into the sky. "Best not."

"Shit… I don't believe I've ever heard you swear, it must be bad."

Burke sighed curtly. "She's mixed up in it now, and it's my fault. Took my eye off the ball."

"Well, she's mixed up in a whole lot more besides. You've got your work cut out but if anyone can get her out of this you can. I mean, I assume."

Burke scoffed and took another drag. "Your confidence is noted, Gustavo."

"Yeah, well."

"So," Burke chirped, drawing himself up. "How does it feel to be a Fat Cat?"

Gustavo stifled a laugh. "Ha..! I don't know yet, you tell me."

"It was never my money, Gustavo. Always Tenpenny's. I just managed it. Now he's gone, this tower and his fortune is officially _yours_." Burke saw Gustavo's eyes widen and smirked. "And I know how terrible you are with money, so I advise getting someone you trust who isn't a reprobate to handle that side of things."

"Right. Good idea." He smoked slowly while gazing into what Burke could only assume were visions of his future self rolling in caps.

"You'll find all the information to do with rents and anything else in my desk. Gustavo?" He clicked his fingers in front of the Chief's face.

Gustavo jumped. "Right! Yes. Your desk. Alright, I'll keep everything under control."

"I'm sure you will. You've run half this place for years, old friend. Now I… really ought to go."

"Right."

Burke threw his cigarette to the ground and extended his hand. Gustavo took it.

"It's been a pleasure, Chief."

"Likewise. Don't worry about this place. You go get your girl. And say hello from me. She'll look after you."

Burke nodded slightly in acknowledgement as their hands parted.

"You're going to need the help, old timer."

Burke scoffed. "These tenants are going to eat you alive."

"Do I care? I'm rich."

Gustavo watched Burke go as he smoked the rest of his cigarette. "Hey, Burke," he called after a few seconds, jogging closer so they could keep their voices down. "What, uh… what was it exactly that _ailed _Tenpenny? Just out of curiosity?"

Burke looked him dead in the eyes, a fire burning behind them like he'd never seen. "He wanted Talia dead, Gustavo. He took steps to make it happen. He tripped."

Gustavo nodded and let him go, a grin slowly blooming across his face. He finished his smoke and snuffed it out under his boot, whispering to himself. "Fucking romantic son of a bitch. _I knew it._"


	28. Mindfield

Talia didn't know how long she spent deliberating Dave's warning, but every second it hung up in the air was a second too long. She worried that any moment Autumn might come through the door to decide she was useless and put a bullet in her head, like he did Janice.

But even if she could give up the code, she would be just as useless once he had it. She had to think further ahead. She had to stay alive. She wasn't sure what for. She hoped for rescue but wasn't really banking on the Brotherhood showing- surely they could have sent more people to secure the G.E.C.K. if they'd really wanted to. If they were that short of people, she was screwed anyway. And how could Burke even know where she was, let alone what could he do about it? But she wasn't ready to go just yet, and certainly not at the hands of Autumn, or worse, some goon he ordered to deal with it because he was too busy stealing her dad's work.

She stood by the hatch and rapped on it continuously, calling to Williams. Eventually her knuckles met open air as it whizzed open and Williams' eyes were visible through the slot.

"What is it? If you keep that up I'm not going to check on you _at all. _One knock is enough, you hear?"

"I know Williams, sorry, I'm really sorry, but it's important. I need to speak to Dave. Can you get him? Please? Right away. I need to tell him something."

"...Oh." Williams sounded surprised and Talia saw his eyebrows rise. "Right. I see. Yes, I'll send for him… Seen the light have you?"

"Please just get him. Thanks." Talia forced her words out politely despite feeling exhausted yet wired on adrenaline. She had no idea how screwed up her thinking might be in this state, whether he'd see through her right away, but she was pretty much dead if she didn't try.

She sat in the containment spot while she waited, going over her speech in a whisper. When he entered she watched him approach with wide eyes. He looked pretty much the same as always, though his warm brown hair was a little unkempt.

He crouched in front of her on the other side of the force field. If he was annoyed at his summoning he wasn't showing it. "You have something to tell me?"

Talia nodded. "I've been thinking about what you said…" He had to believe it. If he thought she knew the code and was just buying time, it wouldn't help her situation. "I… I don't know the code, because the purifier didn't work. Why would we activate it until we had the G.E.C.K.? That's the only thing that my dad thought would work."

Dave tossed a hand in the air as if disappointed. "Talia-"

Talia raised her hands to quiet him. "But listen, listen. I can probably work it out. He was my dad, right? It could be my birthday, or my mom's birthday, something like that. I would know those kinds of things, right?"

Dave began stroking his chin in thought.

Talia continued. "I doubt that's it though. Too simple. I know one of his old computer passwords was a lyric from a song we… we used to sing together, when I was little." She swallowed a lump in her throat and took a breath. _Focus._ "So, it's probably a bit more cryptic. But _I_ can work that stuff out, right?"

"Right." He was still considering her words.

A hollow pit grew in her stomach while she waited for his response. She had to push him to stop the feeling she'd be swallowed by it. "Um… so, what do you think?"

"Well, tell me what those two birthdays are. We'll have to try those first."

"It won't be those-"

"But we'll have to confirm that," Dave interrupted firmly, going back to thinking.

Talia bit her lip while waiting for his next words.

"But… yes, it makes sense." He nodded in approval and the lead weighing Talia's limbs melted away. "And you are best placed to know what it could be. That's why you're here, after all. We could sit down and talk about your father… these kinds of things you mentioned... We'll work out possible codes and try them out. Yes, that could work.

"Well done Talia. I knew you'd be smart in the end."

If the force field wasn't there Talia swore she'd float away. Tears welled behind her eyelids. She pressed her palms to her eyes, forced them back with a breath, and put on a smile instead. But when she dropped her hands Dave had raised a finger.

"Now... some might question if you're not just buying yourself time and feeding us nonsense. That wouldn't be the case would it?"

Talia shook her head vigorously and shifted up onto her knees. "No! No, I just got dragged into all this. _You _know my story. I'm not trying to die for this water- my dad already did that-" Her voice wavered. "And why?- you guys just want to get the thing working too-" Unplanned tears broke through her facade. That was basically the truth. Aside from being on the Enclave's wanted list and her desire to see Autumn and Dean in the ground, she basically didn't care which assholes in power armour switched it on. Everyone would have clean water and she'd still be a prisoner, at least until they killed her.

"It's alright. Talia, it's okay, you did good."

She looked up and pressed a hand against the light barrier, ignoring the way it pulsated under her touch. "Will I be okay? I'm going to help, that's what you want, tell me I'll be okay?" She was so tired, and tired of wondering if Death would be the next one to walk through the door.

"Yes, yes- Talia, look at me. You'll be alright. I just needed to check, alright?"

She frowned in confusion.

"I need to tell the boss I believe you so we can do this. I had to push you, you understand?"

Talia nodded and wiped her eyes.

"Now I'll see to it no one disturbs you for a while, and we'll get started in a few hours. Get some sleep. You'll feel a lot better. Just tell me those birthdays, and then I'll see you after you wake up."

She paused, doubt setting in. What if James really had used one of those dates as the code? No, he couldn't be that simple. Anyway, she had no choice. She had to give Dave something to seal the deal. She told him the dates. He smiled, thanked her, and promised her she wouldn't see anybody else but him.

It was a pleasant story to believe, and she was asleep before his footsteps had faded.

* * *

Talia waited patiently in her cell for her escort to arrive. She lived on a schedule now. In the morning she would be cuffed, blindfolded, and walked to an interview room. Here she would meet Dave, and they would spend the day talking. Mostly about her dad and their shared past, but they went off on tangents quite a lot. There was enough time for it. She'd spent the entire previous day with him, and it must have run well into the evening for she was exhausted. The short nights she was given to sleep and the length of the day were one thing, but she was hardly prepared for the mental effort required in his sessions.

She'd hoped to draw out the time between discovering potential codes, getting tangled in long histories while teasing out cryptic clues that might not even be there. Put on a good show of cooperation that obscured the lack of results until she could figure out what to do next. But he wasn't approaching this like a puzzle or a battle. The first night she'd told him all about her escape from Vault 101 following James' disappearance. The next day she'd found herself sobbing into her jumpsuit as she recounted memories with James from her childhood.

He'd let her cry. He gave her a hanky. He was very understanding.

All the same, she felt her mind and soul had been wrung out like a wet rag. She'd kill for another hour to remain curled up in her cell, imagining Burke's warm hands around her face, rich voice telling her everything was going to be fine.

At the interview room she was guided into a chair like yesterday and her guard took off the hood that covered her head.

"Thank you. Oh- you didn't pull my hair today. You're spoiling me, Charlie." Talia joked without much mirth in her tired voice but took some satisfaction from the poorly hidden amusement she read on the soldier's face. She'd learned from Williams she'd had the same escort since she arrived, but he was obviously under orders not to engage with her. So she'd named him Charlie in lieu of a proper introduction.

She toyed with her handcuffs, draping the chain into patterns on the heavy metal table while waiting for Dave, then took to awkwardly reaching an itch. The door opened while she was twisted, so she heard Dean before she saw him.

"Hello again, wastelander."

She jumped in her seat and a nervous gasp escaped her lungs.

"Missed me?"

Talia pulled back in her chair and folded her hands to her chest. "W-w-w-what are you doing here? Where's Dave?"

Dean sat across the table from her with his usual wicked smile plastered on his face. "I'm here to make sure you've been telling the truth," he answered, ignoring her other question.

She said nothing, clutching at the collar of her overalls. She tensed up as he reached into his jacket pocket. He seemed to notice and pulled out a piece of paper inordinately aggressively, just to watch her flinch.

"You've been telling some interesting stories," he said, watching her strain to see what was written on the sheet as he unfolded it. "I have all the details here. If you've been making things up just to make yourself seem useful, I'm going to find out."

"I haven't made anything up," Talia croaked.

He raised his voice suddenly, making her jump again. "Did I ask you a question?"

She shrank further into her chair. "No, Dean," she forced out levelly. She'd pushed him out of her mind, thinking herself free of him after she made her deal with Dave. But alone with him again. Surprised by him. Her breath was short. His eyes were determined. She was no physical coward, but this wasn't just work for him. She'd bet he hoped she was lying just so he'd be free to let loose on her. Just to cure his itch. At least Autumn wouldn't waste any energy disposing of her and give her a quick bullet to the head. If it came to it.

Would it come to it? She wasn't lying. She hadn't changed any facts when talking to Dave. Nothing had seemed relevant. The only reason she might stumble now was nerves. And Dean made her very nervous.

He flattened out the paper on the table and clasped his hands on top of it, leaning into his elbows. "Now, I'm going to ask you some questions and you're going to answer. No stalling for time. Understood?"

"Yes, Dean." She gulped.

He covered everything she remembered discussing with Dave, as well as things she didn't. He just wanted the details. Names, dates, specifics of an event. And the asshole didn't care what the subject was- dead mom, dead dad. She really didn't want to get upset over James' death or one of the few sweet memories they had, in front of _him._ But maybe it would only convince him she was lying if she refused to react to his obvious and blunt probing. It was a very hard line to walk, and she fell on the side of getting more emotional than she wanted to. She hated being so _tired._

"Well…" Dean let the word hang after maybe an hour of questioning, sneering in distaste. "I'm supposed to believe you've been telling the truth."

Talia let out a breath and loosened her claw-like grip on her jumpsuit.

Dean stood abruptly and the scraping of the chair legs on the floor gave Talia a fresh fright. "Stop fucking snivelling," he barked. "This scared little girl act doesn't fool me. You might have repeated the same bullshit today as yesterday, but that doesn't mean you're in the clear." He sat on the table at her side and bent unpleasantly close. "I don't believe this act one bit."

Talia leaned as far away from him as she could without leaving her seat, staring desperately forward.

He wasn't done. "These tears, give me a break. I've given you a harder time than this and you didn't fucking cry. Where is she? Who is this pathetic fucking mess?" He shoved her in her seat. She winced and turned to protect her face. She was still black and blue and very tender.

He laughed. "Jesus, don't tell me you've gone all soft on me now." He grabbed the chain that linked her handcuffs and hoisted her up from the seat. The hard metal dug into her wrists but she managed to limit her reaction to a sharp breath. She closed her eyes and just wished for it all to be over quickly. Maybe he'd get bored and leave.

He shook her. "Come on, where is she? You're no fucking fun anymore, you know that?"

"I answered your questions, Dean. Aren't we done?" She opened her eyes again even though she could hardly bear to look at his vile face. God she wanted to punch it, if only she wasn't cuffed.

He tightened his fist around the chain. "We're done when I say we're done, you arrogant little bitch."

_If only_ she wouldn't be marched out to some wasteland ditch after dark, she'd break his goddamn nose and make sure he choked to death on his own blood.

"_There_ she is." Dean's eyes grew darker and she realised she must have let her thoughts show.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said coldly.

"Oh, now you're definitely lying to me. I can see it in those steely fucking eyes. You fucking hate me don't you?"

Talia bit her tongue. If she was only strong enough, she would crush the air from his windpipe with these cuffs.

He raised his other hand and roughly grasped her by the throat. "I asked you a question, you stupid little cunt."

"Fuck you." It slipped out with what little breath she could get past his fingers.

She could do nothing to resist as he swiftly forced her face down onto the table, struggling to catch her breath as her body met it heavily. He shifted his grip into her hair just to pull her head up and slam it back down, hard, before pinning her there. Her vision swam and her lip burned. She tasted heat and blood.

"That's 'fuck you, _Dean_.'" He laughed smugly while she sputtered for breath between his weight and her blood, slowly spreading from under her face. Why did she rise to it? She was so fucking stupid. She was over these beatings, but it wasn't as simple as saying nothing. None of it was.

"I like you so much better when you be yourself, wastelander," he continued, leaning over her so he could speak right into her ear.

"I'll kill you," she hissed. Fuck it. He obviously wasn't leaving without a fight, she might as well say what she really felt.

He grinned and stood back. "I'd like to see you try."

She slithered off the desk and righted herself, trying not to look too disorientated or in pain. He was baiting her. No, she wasn't that stupid.

"I don't know where you get your attitude, wasteland bitch, but I like it. I'm going to enjoy wiping that fucking psychotic little look off your face when you realise how fucking dumb you are." He shunted the chair aside with his foot and backed her against the table. "Kneel down."

Her eyes grew wide with wild fears and she hesitated, though mostly out of a stubborn unwillingness to submit to this asshole.

He scowled. "You fucking lunatic, you think I'm an animal?" He grabbed her hair with one hand and squeezed her thigh with the other, hard, right where she had a not-completely-healed scar from a Regulator's knife. She screamed out from the sudden nauseating pain and buckled under the force of his other hand, landing heavily on her knees.

"Nasty scar that, isn't it?" He yanked her head back, revelling in the tears of pain that now filled her eyes. He believed these were real. "I wanted you down here so you know how everything is going to look when your game is all over. I know you're trying to play your way out of this, and it isn't going to work. Autumn is going to lose his patience. _Dave _is going to lose his patience. And you'll wish you had just given up the code when you had the chance.

"Because you might still have a chance to keep your sad little wasteland life- for now. After that, you'll be on your knees begging for a bullet. It's your choice. It would be a lot easier if you just give it up. But a lot less fun for me. So I don't really care either way." He released her with a jerk.

She glared at his boots as they turned and drew away from her, disappearing as he left the room. She leant forward onto her hands and gritted her teeth through the pain still throbbing in her leg. After a few moments she heard the door again. She peered up only enough to see the same boots approaching. She was already on the floor. She could stay here easily enough. She kept her eyes down and her mouth shut- aside from spitting some blood that was still bubbling from her lip.

Toecaps appeared in her vision. She willed her heart to beat more quietly.

"You alright?"

She looked up to find Dave crouched beside her. A weight lifted from her chest so suddenly she almost felt dizzy. "Oh Dave, he's crazy. He wants to kill me."

"Here, for the blood." He insisted she take the hanky he was holding out to clean up her face, and offered a hand getting up when she was done. "Well, you passed, so don't worry about that."

Talia frowned while hobbling around to the chair. "What..? That was… you knew?"

"They wanted to verify what you've told me so far, that's all."

Talia froze. "_That's all?_ That wasn't- you told me this wouldn't happen anymore Dave!"

"Talia- no, look, it's okay-"

"No it's not! You said if I cooperate this wouldn't happen anymore!"

"That's not how this is-"

"I'm doing what you want! And still!" Talia shoved the chair over and retreated to the wall. "I'm never getting out of here. I'll help and my thanks will be a fucking trip to the incinerator."

Dave came around from the other side of the table. "That's not true. Just sit back down and let's keep talking, huh?"

"What's the point? I'm dead either way. He'll do it first chance he gets."

"That's not true. Come on, just sit back down."

"I don't believe you."

Dave scoffed. "Well I'm sure you'll believe that if you stop now, I'll get reassigned, and then you know who your only visitor will be after that. Now, given _I_ believe you're not intentionally hiding the code, I'm your best chance. Now let's sit back down and work it out together."

Talia clutched her forehead. She couldn't deal with this headfuck right now. "No, please, I don't want that…" She didn't really know what she was saying, but she didn't want to get handed back to Dean.

"Me neither. So, come sit down." Dave, who had got close now, gently took her arm and led her back to the table, righting the chair for her. Talia sat defeated. "I'm sorry, Talia. Really. It came from the top. I just found out today. They had to check you could repeat what you've told me so far, so we can continue. You understand don't you?"

Talia stared at him while her frazzled mind chewed on his words. He was so good looking. They all were. There must be something in their water. Or else the rest of humanity really was a messed up version of what it should be, like they seemed to believe. But today it was no distraction. He paced the room a little, and she noticed again his boots, just like those Dean wore. Eventually he sat down opposite her, clasping his hands in front of him and leaning into his elbows as he shot her a sympathetic smile.

God, she was an idiot. How did she forget where she was, who he was? He and Dean were on the same team. He was one of them. This was probably all staged. Though the yearning in Dean's eyes for a reason to punish her was so real, she wasn't completely sure about that.

She nodded. "I understand."

"I'm glad. So…"

Talia interrupted him. "Um... can we just take a rest? Before we start? It's been one hell of a morning." She needed to think.

He smiled at her joke and looked her over. Either he was a damn good actor or there was an undercurrent of pity and even annoyance beneath his clean-cut features. "Sure. I'll be back in five."

She held his hanky to her sore lip and stared into the door after it shut. Dean's prediction loomed at the back of her mind. If she was lucky enough to figure out the code before they did, _should_ she tell Dave right away? She desperately wanted to believe his reassurances that she would be rewarded for being helpful. Even Dean had suggested as much. But she'd met Autumn. She didn't believe it. He just wanted to start the purifier as soon as possible and more than likely would want her out of the way.

What was her next move? What would Burke do? Burke would make a deal. Well, she'd done that and bought herself however long until they worked out the code themselves. Now she had nothing else to offer. What else might they want?

A thought surfaced, shifty, cautious, beckoning her attention from the back of her mind. She looked around the room as if someone might see her consorting with it. The only thing that made her unique from other wastelanders at this point was her association with the Brotherhood of Steel. Her knowledge of the Citadel from the inside. Surely the Enclave would find that sort of information interesting…

She scrunched her eyes shut. She couldn't think that far. She didn't want to. She just had to be careful what she told Dave. She'd prefer to know if she had the code before letting on so she could decide if and when to reveal it.

She jumped in her seat as the door opened again. Trying not to look guilty as the thought crawled back under its rock, she saw Dave had returned with two coffees. She watched, agape, as he set one down on her side of the table.

"What? Never seen a coffee before?"

"Not... here... other than to taunt me."

"Well you can drink that one. Our secret, huh." He winked.

Her conspiratorial mind was still churning. What would Burke do? Take advantage of whatever he could. Pull at the cracks. Agitate. _Manipulate_. She bit the uninjured side of her lip and summoned dew to her eyes, privately thanking Dean for the inspiration. _Enter 'scared little girl'_.

"Thank you," she mewed, tentatively wrapping her hands round the cup as if half expecting it to explode. She took a cautious sip and made a show of how amazing it tasted (though that part was genuine). She peered up and locked eyes with him, sighing and sagging her shoulders in gentle defeat. "You're so nice to me…"

"It's just coffee," he said, but he smiled a little knowingly.

"No, it's everything…" She watched as he set his chair at the table edge perpendicular to hers, joining her for their drink. "I'm sorry I shouted. I just… I'm scared."

"Don't be. You help me and I'll help you, okay?"

She looked down and shook her head softly. "You didn't see him though Dave… he really hates me. He doesn't believe any of this."

"Well, he's not the boss."

"Oh yeah, Autumn seems reasonable."

"You let me worry about that, alright?"

Talia sighed and quietly sipped her coffee.

Dave sighed and put his back down. "Ugh, you're still mad aren't you?"

Talia frowned. "No. No… I, uh…"

Dave leaned in. "You have to trust me Talia. You can't fake your way through this. I'm sorry about today. I won't let it happen again, I promise. But if you clam up or try to lie about things now because you're mad, it will just ruin everything we've done so far. I can help you, but you have to trust me."

Interesting. Was he worried she was going to dry up on him? He was really concerned for either her or his job. Talia made a slightly strained face like she _wanted _to believe him, if she could. It seemed to worry him further.

"I'll make it up to you, look- I'll get you some meds for this, okay?"

Talia softened her expression. "Oh, I don't want to draw attention to myself, I know Autumn hates me even using up the air in this place."

Dave waved the notion away. "I'll get it for myself. No one will know. I told you, I can help you. I'll make sure you're not hurt."

Well this was a result. She'd put out the feelers for any signs of sympathy, but scoring some coffee _and_ meds wasn't half bad in her current situation. Dewy eyes weren't a reach given the fresh reminder of how much healing her leg still had to do. "You'd do that?"

"Yes… but you must trust me." He looked at her expectantly.

She returned his gaze, paused dramatically, and let a tear fall. She broke the tension with a big exhale. "I do, I do… oh, it was just so stressful earlier, I-"

Dave cut off her spiral with a hand on her arm. "I know, but it's over."

She nodded while he rubbed her arm, smiling like she'd just now realised what a fool she'd been. And in the quiet moment that followed, that gentle contact suffused every question, qualm, dream or doubt in her mind, the way an ocean tide washes over every grain of sand on the bank. When she wasn't alone there was a good chance she was being restrained, moved, or beaten. A simple comforting touch was... enough.

"I don't think I've seen you smile like this," Dave commented.

She blinked back to reality. "Oh…" His hand was still on her. "I… I guess this coffee's really good," she joked with an awkward laugh, busying herself with a big slurp from her mug. His hand lingered until he caught her eye again, and she plunged her sights right back into the drink.

"Well," he concluded with a sigh, "are you ready?"

She wasn't sure if he thought what she thought he thought… but she could find out. She had nothing to lose and a very distant, completely non-Enclave-related death to gain.


	29. Wicked Games

"Something on your mind hun?"

Burke sossed with the food on his plate in the Weatherly Hotel while Vera, the hotel owner and Rivet City's gossip monger, fussed around him.

"Oh, lots of things," he muttered.

He was thinking about Tenpenny, how gloriously satisfying it was to know he'd paid the ultimate price for his treachery. He clenched his hand into a fist briefly. He could still feel the man struggling against his grip. For a drunk in his eighties, he'd retained a surprising amount of strength. But he should have known. He was a shut in but not at all inactive, making his _wasteland safari_ every day from the balcony. But his paranoid fantasies of conspiracy, when had they come about? Burke was a fool to have ignored him so long. _Complacency. _He grimaced at the realisation he had fallen foul of the word. Idiots got complacent and it would always be their undoing. Else they eeked out a pathetic existence, like those in Megaton, too complacent to move away from the bomb they knew could go off at any time, randomly or otherwise.

Ah, the bomb. It seemed so long ago now, and the pleasure he felt over convincing Talia to so perfectly initiate his plan was overshadowed by his failure to keep her in the tower. This was compounded by his discovery the Enclave had withdrawn all personnel from the purifier perimeter, meaning he didn't find Lieutenant Sloan or anyone else with whom he'd intended to start a negotiation for Talia.

If she'd never left, none of this might have happened. Though somehow he doubted it. The Enclave was here to stay. Numerous reassuring banners had appeared along thoroughfares toward the city, talking of _rebuilding America's future_. And more energy fences had sprung up throughout the city ruins, almost certainly to hinder movement of Brotherhood troops, but he'd already heard people mention how they kettled the supermutants into certain quarters, protecting those who had to travel to and from Rivet City. _It wasn't the same as seeing Brotherhood knights blow them to pieces with a gatling laser_, one resident had commented, but it was a lot easier to get around.

In or out of the Enclave's clutches, Talia would certainly still have a price on her head thanks to Tenpenny. Burke wished he could throttle Littlehorn in the same way, but her only real option was to cheat death again- or perhaps make a deal pleasing enough to Littlehorn that he waived the contract himself. A shiver danced across Burke's skin at the thought. He'd accepted the invitation to work for the agency many years ago, only later finding something ungodly about the man himself. Well, there was no leaving at that point, only going dormant, so he'd preferred to put in his best and see what came of such an ominous partnership.

It turned out as well for him as one might expect from a deal with the Devil himself. Caps, status, and contacts in abundance. There was nothing he couldn't achieve, nobody he couldn't reach. He even had the mercenaries of the infamous Talon Company at his beck and call. It had accelerated his standing with Tenpenny boundlessly. How could one man get so much done in his name? Tenpenny happily accepted that he'd partnered himself with an _absolute gem of a man_ and let him get on with handling all of his business.

Everything was going so well that Burke had practically discarded his earlier misgivings. He was just a man like the rest of them. Until Littlehorn had landed him with his current dilemma, and Burke found himself unwilling to tempt whatever fate awaited someone falling foul of the devil. He knew he was probably being absurd. But even so, if all that found him was a run of the mill murder, he would still be unable to protect Talia from the contract the snake had approved. Littlehorn could have rejected it if he cared anything for his agents, but it only mattered that he had some. There were always more to be found, and something told Burke time wasn't an issue for the man.

Littlehorn had given Burke the contract, anticipating entertainment however he chose to handle it. If he didn't turn her in, someone else would. Or more accurately, they would _try._ Burke had no intention of letting that happen. Worst-case, Littlehorn would have to pay several times over for the both of them, and lose as many agents in the process.

"Well, I'm all ears if you need to talk about it," Vera chirped from over his shoulder, no doubt sifting for a story. The vengeance accumulating in his blood fizzled away and he remembered that Talia first had to be freed from the Enclave before she was at risk from hitmen.

"I'm sure you are. Well, I'm curious about the Enclave. There must be someone here that knows about them. Why they showed up now. Or maybe even is in contact with them? I wonder why have they not entered the city?"

"Oh, I've only heard same as everyone's been asking. You think they could have spies here?" Her eyes widened with hunger.

Burke shrugged. "It would be worth a lot to me to find out." She'd probably dig just for the juice, but a little incentive couldn't hurt.

"Well I'll certainly keep my ears open… say, do I know you? You look familiar."

It had been bold of Burke to come here knowing the body of one of Talia's marks would have been found not long after their previous visit. But Vera's bar was the city gossip exchange. If anyone was Enclave, he'd find a clue here.

He quirked an eyebrow. "Do you say that to every man that drinks here? No madam, it's my first visit to the city beyond some brief business meetings."

Vera laughed out of embarrassment. "Oh- no, I wasn't- I just-"

"That's a very common line you know, you ought to use something less tired." Burke dismissed her with a look, going back to his dinner. Perhaps he'd explore exactly what she knew later, once she'd completely discarded the notion he had ever been here before.

* * *

Burke approached the Citadel main gate, walking briskly to generate some body heat, breath condensing in the cold evening air. He'd been unable to wait til morning. They must know what had happened. Perhaps their own men had been captured too. He must find out what they were doing about it, what they could do, what they knew.

Unfortunately, Paladin Bael didn't seem to agree. "I told you before buddy, you ain't comin' in. And I'm not answering all these damn questions- do I look like a Scribe?"

"What's a Scribe?"

Bael scowled.

"Bael, my dear fellow, I'm just trying to find a way to get my and possibly your people out of this mess. We're helping each other here, after all. We'd be much more effective together."

Bael shifted his personal minigun into a more prominent position. "I can see you're trying to appeal to my good nature. Pity for you I don't have one. Now get out of here before I fill you full of lead."

Burke glanced down at the weapon that would look more at home hanging out of a Vertibird. "Bit of an overreaction, don't you think?"

"You'll know when it's an overreaction. This is your polite warning. Now get the hell away from my gate."

Burke returned the guard's scowl and backed off contentiously. "How far away? This is a free country after all. Where does your gate end, Paladin? Because it looks all the way back there to me."

"Keep going," Bael urged Burke further.

"Oh you're having me on Bael. This is rubble! I can stand here if I want to wait for someone to come out who might actually be interested in some help."

"Says who? Now, come on, I can still see and hear you."

"Oh you'll hear from me alright. You best grow eyes in the back of your head Bael. Your days are numbered." Talon never turned down a job.

"Sentrybot! Standby."

Burke caved as the enormous robot swivelled its many armaments in his direction. They were more like a small missile array on wheels than anything. He retreated angrily from the gate. It was late, and a wind was picking up. Ahead, where an Enclave energy barrier had been erected on a surviving bridge across the Potomac River, he saw the illuminated stone arches of a space carved beneath the road as it rose to join the bridge. It would do, and ill-tempered as Paladin Bael was, he was close enough to deal with any trouble that might stop by while he slept.

When he reached the recess he could see it had previously been settled by others. It contained a bunk, several crates of general equipment and stores, and a spot clearly used for fire. Burke encountered a few of these places from time to time, sort of honour-system campsites for wasteland travellers. They were a welcome find and worked nicely, unless raiders moved in.

Burke gathered whatever he could find in the hideout that would burn and lit a small fire just to warm his bones. He found a bottle of terrible whisky too, but in tandem they managed to assuage his temper with the over-zealous gatekeeper quite well. When he could feel his fingers again he stood in the open archway and raised his bottle, yelling toward the Citadel gate.

"Can you still hear me Bael?! See you tomorrow!"

* * *

"Good morning. How was your evening?"

"Oh hey. Good, you know? I had some friends over, we ate pizza, and then we went down to the bar for shots. What about you?"

Dave smiled at Talia's joke as he shut the door behind him and joined her at the table in the interview room. "I have the same number of hours in my day as you, so I just went to bed."

"I don't believe it. You guys must have some cool stuff to do in this bunker."

"Who said we're in a bunker?"

"I'm from a Vault. I can tell we're underground."

"I see. Well all the same, I just ate and slept."

Talia rolled her eyes. "Fine. What did you eat? I bet it was steak night or something wasn't it? Aw, man…" She stared off into the distance as she fantasised. Her food here was edible but beyond dull.

Dave chuckled. "Why are you torturing yourself like this?"

"Just _pretend_. What would you do if you had all night?"

"Here?"

Talia shrugged yes.

Dave thought for a few moments. "Probably have a beer and watch a few movies."

Talia sighed, slammed her forehead on the desk, then peered up at him scornfully. "I meant something more exciting, you know."

Dave shrugged back. "That's how I relax."

"Okay, but what do you do for _fun_?"

"What's that?"

Talia scrunched her nose at him but appreciated him playing along, even if he was making it very difficult. She just wanted to feel normal for a few minutes, and maybe even the playing field. He knew things from her past only Amata would recognise. Plus, it could only help her if they got to know each other more.

"Okay… say I'm free tonight. I get a pardon or whatever. Where are you gonna take me?"

Dave folded his arms and the corner of his mouth twitched. "That depends. What do you want to do?"

Talia shrugged and twirled the ends of her hair, being careful not to get it caught in the cuffs as she had already managed to do. "That depends what's on offer around here. I don't wanna sell myself short asking for some outdated Vault date if this place has some cool futuristic shit I couldn't even make up."

"Oh it's a date now?"

"It's a special occasion," Talia corrected hurriedly. "I'm free, remember?"

"Okay… So what's a Vault date? So I know how low the bar is."

Talia smirked and looked down. It felt weird dragging back memories of Butch right now. "I dunno… Diner, jukebox… Sneak down to the reactor level if it goes well…"

Dave just raised his eyebrows.

Talia scowled. "Look, teenagers don't have their own places, alright?" Their rooms were fine if Butch's mom was passed out or her dad was absent. But both of them had preferred to just get away from their respective problems.

"Well, I'm not sure how I can beat that," Dave joked. "Though… steak night is actually tonight."

"Oh, really? Nice."

"How do you like it?"

"Er- in my mouth."

Dave gave her a sidelong look as a sly grin spread across his face. "I meant, rare, medium, well done?"

"...Oh." Her face grew hot as she caught his meaning but she laughed it off. "Hm. Yeah, um, medium rare," she corrected, leaning into her palms to hide her blushing cheeks.

She needn't have worried; it seemed to be going down rather well. The glint in his eye and smirk on his lips remained, and she thought maybe he'd forgotten about the objective for a moment and was enjoying himself. She made sure to return his grin, though it wasn't hard. After so many days of seriousness, such a stupid exchange even at her expense filled her with joy.

"Can we have wine?" she continued.

Dave nodded. "Although I'm not going to let you loose with the bottle. Something tells me you're trouble."

Talia giggled and shook her head. "Come on, I'm free! I want to get drunk."

"Alright, well we'll go to the disco. Proper drinks there. Fresh stuff. None of this two hundred year old booze you drink outside. You had a disco in the vault?"

"No? There was a bar, but it was more like another diner really."

"Well I guarantee you've never been in a bar like this. Music, lights, hundreds of people."

"Wow, sounds crazy. You dance?"

"Do you?"

Talia nodded.

"Alright, we can dance."

Talia smiled and sighed. "That sounds nice". It really did. Had she been here too long or was that a fair statement?

"Soon, huh."

Talia nodded, trying to look convinced that she could earn her freedom. First thing in the morning and she was already in knots over their exchange. Was he just dangling a carrot to keep her talking or was he really offering once this was over? Did it affect how she should respond? _Fuck_, she shouldn't spend too long thinking. "Then what?"

"Well by then it's well past my bedtime."

"Easy for you to say, you _have _a bed."

"Aw don't give me this. The cells kind of got forgotten about, okay?"

"Well, whatever. You're lucky to have one at all outside." She dismissed the idea with a wave of her hands but continued in the same breath. "Is it comfy though?"

Dave laughed again at her self torment. "Well I think so, but I don't have much else to compare with. You'd have to test it out."

Talia blushed furiously but laughed along with him. He wore that sly grin again. He had to be fucking with her for fun. No way this was taught in interrogation training in Autumn's army. The stick up his ass wouldn't allow it.

She shook her head at his audacity, but shot him a look that said she enjoyed the banter, that questioned if that's all it was. "Yeah, I'd sleep for days," she commented sincerely. If she was offered a real bed with pillows and blankets right now, she reckoned she'd cry. She moved to tuck her hair behind and ear but fumbled with her hands being cuffed. She really should be used to it by now.

Dave got up and stuck his head out of the door briefly. He turned back brandishing a key. "Let's pretend," he said as he motioned for her hands.

Talia gaped as he removed her cuffs, fastening them to his belt. She rubbed her wrists when they were freed. "Thank you."

"How's the lip?"

"Oh, yeah, not bad." Her hand graced the previously split flesh, quickly healed by the meds he'd brought her.

"Good. Okay, let's see where we left off…" He began flipping through his notepad.

"Will you get in trouble for this?"

"Hm?"

"I can deal with cuffs if you're gonna get in trouble."

Dave raised his eyebrows cynically. "Worried you'll get assigned to someone else?"

_Yes_. "No… well, yeah, but I mean, it's sweet, but don't get in trouble just for these little things. I- I can handle it."

He assessed her briefly. "You just worry about yourself. If I think you don't need the cuffs, I can make that call. Nice sweetheart act though."

Talia frowned. He seemed to think she was just worried about staying with the man who brought her coffee. Which was partly true. But she needed him to believe she was sincere, and hopefully he would be too. Realistically the Enclave teams could work out the code or Autumn could call off the operation at any time; she needed a friend, and she wouldn't make one if she came over as a fickle liar. Though given their conversation so far today, she thought he could just be teasing her.

On another note, she resented his disbelief. "I am sweet," she grumbled.

"Oh yeah?"

"I can be…" Not that it was ever ultimately returned. The pull was growing stronger the longer she languished in captivity, but she managed to drag herself back from the water's edge this time. The pool offered her answers, a place to endlessly dredge memories that proved something was wrong with her, to salvage moments passed that illustrated how little anyone cared. But she couldn't wallow now, she had to make him care. _Focus._

"I can't do much to prove it here though. It's not fair for you to judge while I'm your prisoner." She stretched over the table, leaning her chin in her palm and smiling sweetly. She was a prisoner of the Enclave, but she mostly dealt with him, and honestly preferred to think she was his alone. It was scary to think it could be the people she didn't see who might make the call on whether she lived or not.

She watched for any reaction to the promotion her comment had given him, but he just watched her back. "I suppose not. Shall we start?"

"I…" Would it look too try-hard to protest her sincerity? His expression had already shifted, focussed on the task ahead, a comfortable confidence in his posture and the way he had asked her agreement despite the fact he was very much in charge. Whatever he really thought, he'd settled on it for now. She sat back and nodded acquiescence.

* * *

Burke sat down to lunch with a coil in his stomach. After an uneventful night under the bridge, he'd realised what poor judgement he'd exercised the night before. Banging on the Citadel's door after a full day of travelling and working the ship's residents. He had been tired, cold, and stressed. It was no wonder he got nowhere with Bael. And that wasn't the way to go about this. _Pity for you, I don't have one._ Bael had told him in his own words what he suspected. Much as they wanted to be seen as the saviours to the people in D.C., they couldn't afford to be kind for the sake of it. They were like any other organisation. If he could find what they needed, he might get something from them.

In the meantime, the letter in his pocket would hopefully gain the leader's attention. Burke could still access the unsold cache of salvaged weapons at Tenpenny Tower if needed, or even Tenpenny's orphaned wealth. Being divorced from the Brotherhood in the rest of the country and with the Enclave next door, the D.C. group would surely welcome aid wherever it came from.

A young blonde girl approached his table with a menu. He'd come down to the marketplace, in the hangar deck, in order to meet, watch, and overhear more people in the city. This deck was thronging with a whole other class of people to the upper deck. People that worked for a living. Just like the tower, only more pronounced, people had divided themselves into groups based on their perceived social value relative to one another.

The girl tossed the menu on the table and chirped her rehearsed greeting, giving Burke a cursory smile but otherwise looking as typically disinterested as any teenager. "Hi, I'm Angela. Welcome to Gary's Galley. Let me know when you're ready to order. Would you like anything to drink in the meantime?"

Burke ordered a coffee and continued to muse on his options. When the girl returned he realised Vera had mentioned her the day before. "Angela… Angela Staley?"

She frowned. "Yeah. Do I know you?"

He shook his head. "Oh, no. Just heard a story about you and a priest." Vera said the teenager was completely smitten with a young priest in training. It didn't seem relevant, but he had asked for the dirt on everybody.

He began to apologise, suspecting he'd just ruined his chances of decent service, but the girl gasped and perched on the seat across from him. "Diego? Do you know him?"

Burke relaxed into a smirk at his new lunch companion. "Not at all… I was under the impression you did."

Angela's shoulders sagged. "Oh. Not as well as I'd like. For a second I thought you might be able to talk some sense into him."

Burke raised his eyebrows over his coffee. "Unfortunately you can't force a man's affections," he offered diplomatically.

Angela scoffed. "Yeah. Especially if he's a priest with a thick skull. Well I'm not giving up. I just _know_ we're made for each other."

Burke blinked at the strange turn his day had taken. He'd never quite seen such a resolute crush. _A priest!_ The girl obviously liked a challenge. "Really? Well they say if it's meant to be, it will all work out." He wasn't sure how this particular situation was going to work itself out.

"Right? That is so true. But I don't think he knows it. Ugh, sometimes it feels like he doesn't even know I'm there."

Burke found that hard to believe. "Well, you're a woman. Just- er- _charm_ him." For once he was grateful the coffee hadn't arrived particularly hot as he busied himself with a big sip. She couldn't have been more than sixteen, but he'd automatically begun to offer solutions before that thought arrived at the party.

Angela huffed in annoyance. "Yeah right. I don't think I could get him drunk enough to do that."

Burke just managed to avoid spurting coffee down himself.

Angela continued thinking out loud. "I wish I had some _ant pheromones. _Trinnie says they make _any _man lose control. Do you know anything about that?"

Burke adjusted the roll neck of his sweater as she rounded on him. "Er, no… and I think a _charming_ girl such as yourself ought not need to resort to superstition."

"It's not superstition. Trinnie says it's science. Ugh. It's just so hard to get his attention sometimes, let alone seduce him. He's so obsessed with the Church! But if the pheromones really work like Trinnie says…" She looked off to the side, presumably visualising what Burke was trying to avoid discussing any further. "Then he'd _have _to marry me!" she concluded. "We'd be so happy!"

Burke puffed his cheeks and sat back in the afterglow of her unscrupulous logic. "My dear girl… If you ever get tired of waiting tables, I may have some work for you." His favourite recruits had always been women. He enjoyed a more interesting approach over the brute force often favoured by men, and manipulation came far more readily to them.

The kitchen's owner yelled over from the bar and Angela jumped up, scurrying back to her duties. Burke set his eyes on the menu and hoped he'd find everyone else as talkative as her, only more relevant. But he only stared at the words as he heard Gustavo in his head, berating him for being as oblivious as the priest. He and Talia had had dinner here before. She was trying hard to learn what he was teaching her, to please him, and succeeding. He knew then she was special. And yet he behaved as though she would be at his side hanging on his every word forever.

He noticed only now he was alone how miserable a place it was. If she was here now he would have their dinner served on the flight deck, the whole runway cleared just for the two of them. An evening beneath the night sky with the entire wasteland stretching horizon to horizon around them. She could point any direction and he'd take her to the farthest thing he could see, and beyond. Knowing how she loved the night sky she'd probably point to the Moon or the Milky Way. He readied a cigarette as he contemplated how it would be possible, because he would be willing to go that far. _Too much, much too late_ a voice in his head said.

He waved away Angela who had returned to take his order. He'd barely glanced at the options yet.

"Don't wait too long, the specials sell out real quick," she warned.

_You already waited too long, _the voice told him.

* * *

Talia chewed on her thumbnail as Dave passed another potential code to the guard outside, who would run it to whoever tested them.

"Why so nervous, girlie?" Dave asked as he turned back.

_Because it might be the last wrong guess she was allowed. Or it might work. _"What will happen if it's right?"

"Well, they'll send word and we'll be done here."

"And me?" she clarified hoarsely.

"I've sorted all that, alright? You'll either be free to go, or... maybe you can stay here, help us with some other things. It's cold out there, so personally I'd take the latter option."

Talia blinked. He said it so casually, but she realised she had been swimming upstream toward a boat that had already sunk. The only way was downriver to his raft. A prisoner forever.

"I don't mind the cold," she lied, shaking her head. She hadn't seriously entertained the idea she would never see Dogmeat or Burke or those stupid guys on the gate again. She'd been too preoccupied with avoiding execution to consider what the alternative looked like.

"Not _right here_, silly thing" Dave clarified. "You'd be… a colleague."

"You guys don't recruit. I heard all about you, you're purists or something."

Dave smiled and shook his head. "Who told you that? The Brotherhood of Steel? Those guys in D.C. are the odd ones out, Talia. The rest of the Brotherhood all over the country are purists. Even the Outcasts in D.C. could rival Lyons' lot. And you know what they care about..."

Talia cradled her elbows as he waited expectantly for her to finish his sentence. "Technology," she conceded with a sigh.

"Right. Above all else. This idea that we're somehow the bad guys for wanting to actually use our technology to rebuild is disingenuous, and you know it. Hey, don't frown, I know you don't believe Lyons and his crew are here to save the world."

"It's not that. I… I don't know that word you said."

"Oh. It means dishonest. I forgot you've been outside killing brain cells with that ancient booze. Another reason to stick around huh? Drink that won't make you go blind or stupid."

Talia forced a weak smile but couldn't hear herself think over the roar of the river.

"I can see you're not convinced. What if I told you one of the scientists from the purifier is already working here?"

Talia cocked her head. "Really?"

Dave nodded cooly. "Anna Holt?"

_Anna. _One of Li's team. Talia hadn't spoken with her much, then she failed to show at the sewers where they made their escape. "I thought she died at the monument?"

Dave shook his head. "Gave herself up. She was brought in. Once she saw what we were about and what she could achieve with us, she agreed to join the science team."

Talia said nothing as she took this in. But Dad had been so stubborn from the very minute the Enclave showed. He must have had a reason. _Right?_ "Wait. Why am I being ragged around a prison cell and she already has a job? Maybe she knows the code!"

"Calm down, alright? She was questioned just like you. She offered up a lot of other useful information. The purifier wasn't finished when you left, was it? We're trying to do something here, Talia. Can you see yet? There's no reason for us to just get rid of people."

Talia bit her lip. Maybe Dave was lying. But maybe he was making a whole lot of sense. Anna could have given them everything about the purifier except the code. Maybe they were missing the code because Autumn alone was an impatient, entitled idiot who had backed the head of the project into a corner.

"_Useful _people," she countered. "What do I know that would get me out of here so quickly? What if we never work this out?"

Dave tilted his head and smiled at her doubt, something that would annoy and soothe her all at once. "Have a little faith, baby. Come on, I believe you'll think of something. You haven't let me down yet. I'd like to see you as a new citizen of the Enclave."

The thought from the previous day darted around the shadows of her mind again, tossing forward morsels of what she knew of the Citadel. Is that what Dave was thinking too? She couldn't help but recall her first meeting with Burke. A dirty deal made with a charming stranger because he could get her out of a hole, because he made her feel hopeful.

Only Dave didn't feel all that strange anymore. She snickered a little at the pet name he'd let slip, happy at least that she might have banked herself some support whatever happened with the code.

Unless he was a total psychopath, and she'd come to think they weren't that rare. _This is me talking._

"Can't _you _think of something?" she pined.

"For you to do around here? Well sure, but first you'll have to tell me everything you're good at."

Talia smothered a furtive grin and quashed the fluttering in her stomach, in disbelief at herself at a time like this. "Heh… ahem… I feel like I've told you everything I've ever thought. You might have to scoop out my brain and dissect it to get anything else."

"I think the labs have a machine that can do that you know."

"Oh… no, I'm fine. I'm just getting tired."

"Well, lucky for you it's lunch time. I think." He leaned back on his chair and pulled the door open to ask the guard outside. "Hey, anybody there?" He whistled but got no answer.

Talia leaned over to peer through the gap. No one was out there. "Charlie wouldn't abandon me," she joked. He must still be out with the code. Dave stepped out and looked up and down the corridor. Only when she noticed how different it felt, with the usually muffled sounds streaming in from outside did Talia realise she was staring at an open door. Unguarded. Wearing no handcuffs.

How far would she get? Where would she go? She knew her way back to her cell by feel now, but that was no help. And Dave wouldn't trust her anymore. Shit, maybe this was a test. But he seemed to be getting really quite friendly with her, maybe he just… forgot.

Just as quickly as her mind had raced out of the bunker, reality came crashing back into the room as she heard Charlie confirming the time with Dave from down the hall. Dave stepped back inside and closed the door behind him. He seemed oblivious. "You okay?"

Talia realised she was perched on the edge of her seat and holding her breath. She nodded.

"You'll need these." He took the handcuffs from his belt.

She held out her hands while he put her back in cuffs. She'd need them for the walk back to her cell. Charlie escorted her back as usual, and once inside she sat by the door to wait for her dull but welcome lunch. Whenever Dave was ready she'd be taken back to the interview room and they'd continue the rest of the day.

The nerves had made her thirsty. Her heart was still pounding. She wondered if she should have chanced it. But it made no sense, she didn't even know where to go. She obviously didn't work around here, bedraggled, bruised, and wearing nothing but socks and overalls. But she was also unnerved at how she'd let an opportunity pass by like that. She just sat and _thought_ about it. She could have deliberated the moment forever. She must make herself _act_.

Her lunch arrived and she took a gulp of water first. One good thing about this place was the water was pure, and there seemed to be plenty of it. Tenpenny Tower had its own purification system, but smooth operation was intermittent. The Vault's purifier being temperamental was the best case scenario, given the age of the equipment.

The tidal purifier really would change everything. She didn't know why James had objected to Enclave involvement so strongly, although she had to admit she would have told Autumn to go fuck himself too, rolling in and demanding the keys like that. But her dad should have had more control than she did. He was supposed to be the doctor. She figured she must have got her temper from him, and Mom had been the calm one.

_Your mother's dream._ Talia froze mid sip. _I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. _She stared into her cup. _To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life._

"Holy shit."

How did she not see it already? The water purifier, Mom's dream, the fucking framed Bible passage James told her she used to love.

_Revelation 21:6_.

"_Holy shit,_" she repeated to her dinner plate. That could be it. That had to be it. He didn't pick random or stupid passwords. With something this big, with his crazed _obsession_ over completing something he started with Mom. It had to be symbolic. It had to be linked to her.

_216._

She'd barely touched her food when there was a hammering on the door to signal it was time to go back to the interview room. She shovelled as much into her mouth as she could while getting into position for pickup. What was she going to tell Dave? Did she really have a new life here if it worked? How much time until they figured out such a simple code without her help? What the fuck would happen to her if she waited too long?

What if Dave found out she'd kept it hidden?

Charlie almost had to drag her down the hall. She was suddenly very heavy, and not just from the mountain of corned beef hash settling in her stomach all too quickly.


End file.
